Compare towns
Dresden vs Cornish vs Wiscasset
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dresden has the most kids (17% under 18).
Cornish has the youngest population (median age 39.2).
Wiscasset has the most people working from home (21.4%).
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 | Dresden | Cornish | Wiscasset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,645 |
1,024Lowest |
3,874Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | +0.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 55.1±7.9Highest 23% above ME |
39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
48.8±6.3 9% above ME |
| Dresden and Wiscasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
10.5%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
13.8%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Dresden and Wiscasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±8 ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±6.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28%±6.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wiscasset and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.5% ME: 36.2% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Dresden and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,844±$22kHighest about the ME average |
$68,686±$2kLowest 8% below ME |
$71,118±$37k 5% below ME |
| Dresden and Wiscasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,100±$29kLowest 19% below ME |
— | $325,200±$26kHighest 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,194±$502 5% above ME |
$1,135±$141Lowest about the ME average |
$1,518±$485Highest 33% above ME |
| Wiscasset and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,500 18% below ME |
$1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$3,550Highest 17% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13.2%±26Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
23.6%±15.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Wiscasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.3% ME: 10.7% |
5.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 35% above ME |
32 min 29% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #108 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 02 | — | Wiscasset Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Wiscasset Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 7.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME 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.