What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.2%).

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	Topsham
People
Population	1,816Highest	999Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S.	50.1±5.9Lowest 29% above U.S.
	Cornish and Topsham 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%	18%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsham and Cornish 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%	23.2%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Cornish and Topsham 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%	28.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	1.7%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Topsham 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.	$72,308±$60kLowest 10% below U.S.
	Cornish and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S.	$222,900±$56kLowest 33% below U.S.
	Cornish and Topsham 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.	$908±$398Lowest 36% below U.S.
	Cornish and Topsham 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.	$4,006Lowest 28% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	91.9%±28.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Topsham 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%	18.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	90.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest same as U.S.	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.	35 minHighest 32% above U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	14.2%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsham 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	Waits River Union High District #36
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.