Compare towns
Cornish vs Jay vs Chesterville
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).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Jay | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
4,657Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
39.5±5.1Highest 12% below ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish 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% |
17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Chesterville 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 |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$214,000±$40kHighest 28% below ME |
| Chesterville and Jay 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 |
$759±$141Lowest 33% 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 | $1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 73 | — |
| High school in town | — | Spruce Mountain High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— |
| 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.