Compare towns
Cornish vs Mercer vs Parsonsfield
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%).
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Parsonsfield has the most kids (25% 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 | Mercer | Parsonsfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,803Highest |
718Lowest |
1,715 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
-5.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.3±5.9Highest about the ME average |
| Parsonsfield and Mercer 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% |
20.1%±6.4 ME: 18.1% |
25%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Parsonsfield and Mercer 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% |
25.9%±5.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
18%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Mercer and Parsonsfield 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% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±0.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cornish and Parsonsfield 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 |
$71,107±$2k 5% below ME |
$72,045±$18kHighest 4% below ME |
| Parsonsfield and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$238,500±$32kLowest 20% below ME |
$272,100±$21k 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Parsonsfield 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±$249Highest 25% above ME |
$1,185±$312Lowest 4% above ME |
| Mercer 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 |
$1,970Lowest 35% below ME |
$2,350Highest 23% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.2%±35Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Parsonsfield 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% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
30 minLowest 23% above ME |
48 minHighest 97% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
20.5%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| 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.