Compare towns
Cornish vs Gray vs Hartland 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).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Hartland has the oldest population (median age 55.8).
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 | Gray | Hartland | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
8,429Highest |
3,460 |
2,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3 39% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
55.8±5.1Highest 43% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Hartland and Cornish 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%±4 U.S.: 22% |
16.5%±5.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Gray 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hartland and Cornish 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% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8k 18% above U.S. |
$86,136±$23kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$348,600±$39k 5% 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. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,437 106% 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% |
31.1%±89.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1 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% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
13.4%±6.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and Hartland 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #29 of 70 in VT | #19 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hartland School District | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | 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.