Compare towns
Cornish vs Gorham vs Chesterville vs Canton
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).
Gorham has the highest household income ($112k).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
Canton has the oldest population (median age 41.4).
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 | Gorham | Chesterville | Canton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
18,300Highest |
1,397 |
1,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +11.9% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
39.4±2.9 12% below ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
41.4±7.2Highest 8% below ME |
| Canton and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
23.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141 about the ME average |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
$2,277 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Gorham and Canton 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 | — | #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 | 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.