Compare towns
Cornish vs Grantham vs Gray vs Plainfield
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).
Grantham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14%).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Plainfield has the most people working from home (18.1%).
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 | Grantham | Gray | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
3,465 |
8,429Highest |
2,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+14%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
50.4±7.5 30% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Cornish and Grantham 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% |
19.1%±6.6 U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Grantham 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% |
17%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornish and Plainfield 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% |
59.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Grantham 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. |
$106,403±$54k 32% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8k 18% above U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Plainfield and Grantham 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. |
$343,100±$39k 3% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 14% below U.S. |
— | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$7,605 144% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
— | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
0%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
100%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.8%±6.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and Grantham 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 | — | #6 of 120 in NH | #10 of 133 in ME | #19 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | Grantham School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.