Compare towns

Chesterville vs Cornish vs Gorham

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 oldest housing (typical home built 1976).
Gorham has the most people working from home (19%).

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.

MeasureChestervilleCornishGorham
People
Population
1,397Lowest
1,803
18,300Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
-1.8%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
+7.5%
ME: +2.6%
+11.9%Highest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
37.8±4Lowest
16% below ME
39±8.5
13% below ME
39.4±2.9Highest
12% below ME
Gorham 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%
18.2%±3.3Lowest
ME: 18.1%
20.9%±3.5
ME: 18.1%
Age 65+
15%±3Lowest
ME: 22.4%
17.4%±4.9
ME: 22.4%
17.5%±2.5Highest
ME: 22.4%
Gorham 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%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
21%
ME: 36.2%
44.3%Highest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
2.3%±2Lowest
ME: 5.8%
2.8%±1.4
ME: 5.8%
13.1%±1.9Highest
ME: 5.8%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$61,635±$10kLowest
18% below ME
$69,038±$4k
8% below ME
$112,312±$6kHighest
50% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$214,000±$40kLowest
28% below ME
$274,200±$84k
8% below ME
$460,900±$26kHighest
55% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,088±$73Lowest
4% below ME
$1,196±$148
5% above ME
$1,680±$355Highest
47% above ME
Gorham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$2,194Lowest
28% below ME
$2,309
24% below ME
$4,825Highest
59% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
21.8%±30.8Lowest
ME: 48.4%
48.8%±17.5Highest
ME: 48.4%
37.9%±8.6
ME: 48.4%
Cornish and Gorham 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%
6.3%
ME: 10.7%
3.7%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
86.4%Highest
ME: 74.3%
82.1%
ME: 74.3%
81.5%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1978
1 yr newer than ME
1976Lowest
1 yr older than ME
1988Highest
11 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
25 minLowest
about the ME average
31 minHighest
27% above ME
27 min
10% above ME
Work from home
7.1%±3.7Lowest
ME: 15.9%
8.5%±2.4
ME: 15.9%
19%±3.7Highest
ME: 15.9%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading — — #24 of 133 in ME
School district — — Gorham Public Schools
High school in town — — Gorham High School
Students per teacherat that high school — —
12.9
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.