What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has the most expensive homes ($296k median).

Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).

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	Sumner
People
Population	1,816Highest	845Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Lowest 39% above U.S.	56.1±8.4Highest 44% above U.S.
	Sumner 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%	17.2%±6.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Sumner and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	29.7%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sumner 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%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	15.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4%	1.4%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,821±$2kHighest 14% above U.S.	$57,750±$19kLowest 28% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S.	$150,000±$73kLowest 55% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,221±$227 14% below U.S.	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,796Highest 86% above U.S.	$2,167Lowest 31% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	100%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Sumner 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%	5.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	91.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.	42 minHighest 60% above U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sumner and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Cornish School District	RSU 10
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.