Compare towns
Cornish vs Exeter vs Lee vs Hiram
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 youngest population (median age 39.2).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
Lee has the most people working from home (11.9%).
Hiram has the shortest commute (31 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 | Cornish | Exeter | Lee | Hiram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024 |
1,093 |
925Lowest |
1,748Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
51.5±11.5 15% above ME |
41.6±10.2 7% below ME |
| Exeter and Lee 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% |
21.8%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Lee and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.7%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Lee 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% ME: 36.2% |
14.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Lee 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 |
$49,886±$5kLowest 33% below ME |
$62,813±$10k 16% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$174,500±$25k 41% below ME |
$256,600±$42kHighest 13% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141Highest about the ME average |
$995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
— | $1,070±$161 6% below ME |
| Cornish and Hiram 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 |
$1,602 47% below ME |
$1,547Lowest 49% below ME |
$2,106Highest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
80%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Lee and Hiram 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%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1% ME: 74.3% |
97%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
35 min 41% above ME |
31 minLowest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.6%±3.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Lee and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | — | RSU 30/MSAD 30 | RSU 55/MSAD 55 |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town | Sacopee Valley High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 9.9 |
| 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.