Compare towns
Cornish vs Ogunquit vs Wells 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).
Ogunquit has the most people working from home (43.3%).
Canton has the most kids (20.4% 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 | Ogunquit | Wells | Canton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,379 |
11,713Highest |
1,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
41.4±7.2 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Canton and Wells 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% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Wells 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% |
63.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
23.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Ogunquit 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 |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
| Ogunquit and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141 about the ME average |
— | $1,350±$297Highest 19% above ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
| Wells and Cornish 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 |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$2,277 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Canton and Wells 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90.1% ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #22 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | — | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | — |
| High school in town | — | — | Wells High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.4 |
— |
| 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.