Compare towns
Cornish vs Ogunquit vs Orono 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1976).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Orono has the most renters (53.4% rent).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Ogunquit | Orono | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,379Lowest |
11,902Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
37.8±4 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
| Ogunquit 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 |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
$214,000±$40kLowest 28% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148 5% above ME |
— | $1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
$1,088±$73Lowest 4% below ME |
| Orono 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 |
$4,473 47% above ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Cornish 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #26 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | — | RSU 26 | — |
| High school in town | — | — | Orono High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.