Compare towns
Cornish vs Orono vs Canton vs Cornish
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).
Orono has the shortest commute (15 min average).
Canton has the most people working from home (16.1%).
Cornish has the most homeowners (82.1%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Orono | Canton | Cornish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
11,902Highest |
1,191 |
1,803 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.9% ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
41.4±7.2Highest 8% below ME |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
| Canton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Canton and Cornish 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% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Canton 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% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.7% ME: 36.2% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
$69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
$274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141 about the ME average |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,196±$148 5% above ME |
| Orono 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 |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$2,277 25% below ME |
$2,309 24% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Canton and Orono 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% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2% ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
31 min 27% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Canton and Orono 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 | — | #26 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | RSU 26 | — | — |
| High school in town | — | Orono High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— | — |
| 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.