Compare towns
Cornish vs Mapleton vs Searsmont 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1958).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Searsmont has the most people working from home (16.3%).
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 | Mapleton | Searsmont | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,646 |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
44.5±9.8Highest about the ME average |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
| Searsmont and Mapleton 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% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Searsmont and Mapleton 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% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31.6% ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Searsmont and Mapleton 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$87,000±$20k 16% above ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Mapleton and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$284,000±$31kHighest 4% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Searsmont 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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$940±$311 17% 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 |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,788Highest 8% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Searsmont 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Searsmont and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 71 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.