Compare towns
Appleton vs Troy vs Cornish vs Searsmont
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Troy has the most people working from home (25.3%).
Cornish has the youngest population (median age 39).
Searsmont has the highest household income ($87k).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Appleton | Troy | Cornish | Searsmont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,360 |
984Lowest |
1,803Highest |
1,646 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
49.3±13.6Highest 10% above ME |
39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
44.5±9.8 about the ME average |
| Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Troy and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27%±4.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Troy and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.7% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
31.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsmont and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$44,583±$14kLowest 40% below ME |
$69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$87,000±$20kHighest 16% above ME |
| Searsmont and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$213,000±$31kLowest 28% below ME |
$274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$284,000±$31kHighest 4% below ME |
| Searsmont and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,255±$211Highest 10% above ME |
$1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$940±$311Lowest 17% below ME |
| Troy and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,752Lowest 42% below ME |
$2,309 24% below ME |
$2,788 8% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
53.2%±44.5 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.7% ME: 10.7% |
17.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
50 minHighest 102% above ME |
31 min 27% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Troy and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — | RSU 71 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.