Compare towns
Cornish vs Peru 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 most renters (20.8% rent).
Peru has the most people working from home (9.2%).
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 | Peru | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
1,501Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
48±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
| Peru 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% |
20.8%±4 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Peru 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% |
21.7%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Peru 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% |
21.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Peru 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 |
$66,827±$19k 11% below ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Cornish and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $141,300±$38kLowest 52% below ME |
$214,000±$40kHighest 28% below ME |
| Chesterville and Peru 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 |
$723±$16Lowest 37% 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 |
$1,799Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,194Highest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.7%±37.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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% ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
29 min 18% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
9.2%±4Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Peru and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 56 | — |
| 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.