Compare towns
Oakland vs Cornish vs Smithfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Oakland has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.2%).
Cornish has the most expensive homes ($296k median).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Oakland | Cornish | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,309Highest |
1,816 |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-10.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.2±6.9Lowest 3% above U.S. |
54±8.3 39% above U.S. |
55.8±3.5Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Smithfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
10%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.7%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Smithfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Oakland and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,813±$16kLowest 4% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$107,917±$27kHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Smithfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $236,000±$23kLowest 29% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S. |
$242,800±$15k 27% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$74Lowest 34% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$1,109±$358 22% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,439Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$5,796Highest 86% above U.S. |
$2,866 8% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.7%±14.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.9%±45.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Oakland and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980Lowest same as U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
22%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Smithfield 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 | #23 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 18 | Cornish School District | — |
| High school in town | Messalonskee High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.2 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.