Compare towns
Cornish vs Jay vs Brownfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).
Jay has the most affordable homes ($169k median).
Brownfield has the most kids (26.7% 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 | Jay | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,803Lowest |
4,657Highest |
1,830 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
39.5±5.1 12% below ME |
39.9±6.8Highest 11% below ME |
| Brownfield and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brownfield and Cornish 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% |
19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Brownfield 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% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$60,889±$5kLowest 19% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish 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 |
$168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$287,500±$36kHighest 3% below ME |
| Brownfield and Cornish 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 |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
$1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
| Brownfield and Cornish 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 |
$2,245Lowest 26% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brownfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
87.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brownfield and Cornish 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 73 | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | Spruce Mountain High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— |
| 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.

