What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has the highest household income ($92k).

Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Cornish	Appleton
People
Population	1,816Highest	1,360Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S.	49.2±7.4Lowest 26% above U.S.
	Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	15.3%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Appleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	26.1%±9.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	34.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.7%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Appleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,821±$2kHighest 14% above U.S.	$53,618±$19kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S.	$235,600±$33kLowest 29% below U.S.
	Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,104±$82Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,796Highest 86% above U.S.	$3,588Lowest 15% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	85.4%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Appleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	82.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest same as U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.	30 minHighest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Cornish School District	Appleton Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.