Compare towns
Cornish vs Penobscot
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).
Penobscot has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Penobscot |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,154Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -10.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
| Penobscot 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% |
18%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Penobscot and Cornish 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% |
32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cornish and Penobscot 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 |
$63,194±$14kLowest 15% below ME |
| Cornish and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $296,400±$58k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141Lowest about the ME average |
$1,141±$33Highest about the ME average |
| Penobscot and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,925Highest 37% below ME |
$1,852Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot and Cornish 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% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| School district | — | Penobscot Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.