Compare towns
Cornish vs Surry 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 most renters (17.9% rent).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% 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 | Surry | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,836Highest |
1,397Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
| Surry and Cornish 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% |
16.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
38.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 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±$4k 8% below ME |
$74,508±$12kHighest about the ME average |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Surry 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 |
$296,300±$36kHighest about the ME average |
$214,000±$40kLowest 28% below ME |
| Surry and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,309Highest 24% below ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry 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% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%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 |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Surry and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Surry Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.