Compare towns
Cornish vs Dedham vs Hope vs Mapleton
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).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Hope has the most people working from home (18.3%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
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 | Dedham | Hope | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,656Lowest |
1,748 |
1,884Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4kLowest 8% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
| Dedham and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,309 24% below ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,842 27% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.3% ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Hope and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Dedham Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.