Compare towns
Cornish vs Eliot vs Salisbury vs Croydon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Salisbury has the most people working from home (23.3%).
Croydon has the youngest population (median age 43).
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 | Eliot | Salisbury | Croydon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816 |
7,146Highest |
1,609 |
798Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
51.5±4.5 32% above U.S. |
43±9.1Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Salisbury 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% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±9.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Salisbury and Croydon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.9%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.4%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and Croydon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Croydon and Eliot 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. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$111,591±$17kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$98,333±$21k 22% above U.S. |
| Salisbury and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$363,400±$47k 9% above U.S. |
$317,300±$33k 5% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,917±$632 36% above U.S. |
$991±$336Lowest 30% below U.S. |
| Eliot and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$5,859Highest 88% above U.S. |
$3,806Lowest 22% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
7.1%±75.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot 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% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
96.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 21% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.3%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.3%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Salisbury and Eliot 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Merrimack Valley School District | Croydon School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 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.