Compare towns
Chesterville vs Cornish vs Jay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
Cornish has the most renters (20.8% rent).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Chesterville | Cornish | Jay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,397 |
1,024Lowest |
4,657Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
39.5±5.1Highest 12% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
10.5%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4% ME: 36.2% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
$68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $214,000±$40kHighest 28% below ME |
— | $168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
| Chesterville and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,088±$73 4% below ME |
$1,135±$141Highest about the ME average |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,194 28% below ME |
$1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cornish and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #86 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | — | RSU 73 |
| High school in town | — | — | Spruce Mountain High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.