Compare towns
Cornish vs Sumner vs Chesterville 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%).
Sumner has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Chesterville has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Brownfield has the most expensive homes ($288k 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 | Sumner | Chesterville | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
845Lowest |
1,397 |
1,830Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
39.9±6.8 11% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
25.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cornish and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
$60,889±$5k 19% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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 |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% 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 |
— | $1,088±$73Lowest 4% 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 |
$2,167Lowest 29% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Brownfield 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
87.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
42 min 72% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 10 | — | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school 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.