What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has the shortest commute (24 min average).

Ashby has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).

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	Ashby
People
Population	1,816Lowest	3,211Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S.	50.5±3Lowest 30% above U.S.
	Cornish and Ashby 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%	17%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Ashby 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%	21.5%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Cornish and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	43.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Ashby 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±$2kLowest 14% above U.S.	$115,598±$9kHighest 43% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S.	$390,500±$30kHighest 17% above U.S.
	Ashby and Cornish 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.	$1,200±$484Lowest 15% below U.S.
	Cornish and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,796Lowest 86% above U.S.	$6,034Highest 93% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	36.4%±53.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Cornish and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.	33 minHighest 25% above U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Ashby and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#200 of 282 in MA
School district	Cornish School District	North Middlesex
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.