Compare towns
Cornish vs Mechanic Falls 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 youngest population (median age 39.2).
Mechanic Falls has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Canton has the most people working from home (16.1%).
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 | Mechanic Falls | Canton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
3,134Highest |
1,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
39.8±4.7 11% below ME |
41.4±7.2Highest 8% below ME |
| Canton and Mechanic Falls 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% |
24.1%±7.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mechanic Falls and Canton 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% |
16.4%±6 ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Canton and Mechanic Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1% ME: 36.2% |
15.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
23.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
2%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Canton and Cornish 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 |
$69,914±$12kHighest 6% below ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
| Mechanic Falls and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $270,900±$44kHighest 9% below ME |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141Highest about the ME average |
$1,076±$208 6% below ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
| Cornish and Mechanic Falls 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 |
$2,993Highest about the ME average |
$2,277 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±20.9 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Canton and Mechanic Falls 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% |
9.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
81.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
26 minLowest 5% above ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.9%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Canton and Mechanic Falls 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 | — | #122 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 16 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.