Compare towns
Jay vs Cornish vs Canton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Cornish has the most renters (20.8% rent).
Canton has the most people working from home (16.1%).
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 | Jay | Cornish | Canton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,657Highest |
1,024Lowest |
1,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.5±5.1 12% below ME |
39.2±13.3Lowest 13% below ME |
41.4±7.2Highest 8% below ME |
| Canton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
10.5%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Canton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±6.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Canton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
23.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
| Jay and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $168,600±$27kHighest 43% below ME |
— | $165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
| Jay and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $759±$141 33% below ME |
$1,135±$141Highest about the ME average |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,245 26% below ME |
$1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,277Highest 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 9.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 13% below ME |
32 min 29% above ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
| Work from home | 4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Canton and Cornish 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 | #86 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 73 | — | — |
| High school in town | Spruce Mountain High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— | — |
| 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.