What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has the most people working from home (12%).

East Machias has the most kids (23.3% 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.

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

Measure	Cornish	East Machias
People
Population	1,816Highest	1,223Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S.	42.8±2.9Lowest 10% above U.S.
Kids under 18	14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.4%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	33.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	East Machias 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.	$57,589±$10kLowest 29% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S.	$210,800±$23kLowest 37% below U.S.
	Cornish and East Machias 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.	$907±$566Lowest 36% below U.S.
	Cornish and East Machias 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.	$1,836Lowest 41% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	56.4%±40.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	East Machias 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%	15.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	83.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 8% below U.S.	18 minLowest 33% below U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	4.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
School district	Cornish School District	East Machias Public Schools
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.