Compare towns
Cornish vs Exeter vs Sumner vs Hodgdon
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).
Sumner has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Hodgdon has the shortest commute (15 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 | Sumner | Hodgdon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024 |
1,093 |
845Lowest |
1,428Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
52.6±7.7 17% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
42.2±6.2 6% below ME |
| Sumner and Exeter 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% |
17.2%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
25.4%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hodgdon and Sumner 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% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
15.4% ME: 36.2% |
15.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Exeter and Hodgdon 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 |
$57,750±$19k 23% below ME |
$54,519±$11kLowest 27% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $166,700±$39kHighest 44% below ME |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$159,300±$25k 46% below ME |
| Exeter and Hodgdon 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±$386 13% below ME |
— | $695±$426Lowest 39% below ME |
| Cornish and Exeter 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 |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
$1,614 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.3%±24.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Hodgdon 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
91.1% ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
35 min 43% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
15 minLowest 40% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | — | RSU 10 | RSU 70/MSAD 70 |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town | Hodgdon Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 13.8 |
| 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.