Compare towns
Cornish vs Mars Hill 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 highest household income ($69k).
Mars Hill 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 | Mars Hill | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,398Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
| Mars Hill 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% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Mars Hill 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% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill 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% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Mars Hill 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±$2kHighest 8% below ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Cornish and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$214,000±$40kHighest 28% below ME |
| Chesterville and Mars Hill 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 |
$488±$96Lowest 57% 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 |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,194Highest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Mars Hill 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% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2% ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1967 10 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest 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 | |||
| School district | — | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | — |
| High school in town | — | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.