Compare towns
Cornish vs Exeter vs Chesterville vs Baldwin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most renters (20.8% rent).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
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 | Cornish | Exeter | Chesterville | Baldwin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,093 |
1,397Highest |
1,170 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8% ME: +2.6% |
-0.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
50.6±4.6 13% above ME |
| Exeter and Baldwin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
12.1%±3 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Baldwin and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1% ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
23.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Baldwin and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
$68,045±$8k 9% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
$263,200±$38kHighest 11% below ME |
| Baldwin and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141Highest about the ME average |
$995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% 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 | $1,925 37% below ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
$2,540Highest 16% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±42.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Exeter and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.3% ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
89% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
32 min 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Exeter and Baldwin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| 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.

