Compare towns
Hiram vs Orono vs Cornish
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hiram has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
Orono has the shortest commute (15 min average).
Cornish has the highest household income ($69k).
Orono is a college town. 59.8% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Hiram | Orono | Cornish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748 |
11,151Highest |
1,024Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.6±10.2Highest 7% below ME |
21.6±0.3Lowest 52% below ME |
39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
| Hiram and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
10.5%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
11%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Hiram and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
69.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
59.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,813±$10k 16% below ME |
$59,784±$5kLowest 20% below ME |
$68,686±$2kHighest 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,600±$42kLowest 13% below ME |
$262,900±$39kHighest 11% below ME |
— |
| Orono and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,070±$161Lowest 6% below ME |
$1,280±$117Highest 12% above ME |
$1,135±$141 about the ME average |
| Orono and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,106 31% below ME |
$4,778Highest 57% above ME |
$1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24.1 ME: 48.4% |
60.2%±11.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.6% ME: 10.7% |
27%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
41.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 1 yr older than ME |
1976Highest 1 yr older than ME |
1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 28% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.6%±3.4 ME: 15.9% |
11%±3.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Orono and Hiram 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 | — | #26 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 55/MSAD 55 | — | — |
| High school in town | Sacopee Valley High Sch | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9 |
— | — |
| 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.