Compare towns
Orono vs Cornish vs Orono
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orono has the most people working from home (11.3%).
Cornish has the oldest population (median age 39.2).
Orono has the most renters (58.3% rent).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% 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 | Orono | Cornish | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,902Highest |
1,024Lowest |
11,151 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | +7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 21.8±0.3 51% below ME |
39.2±13.3Highest 13% below ME |
21.6±0.3Lowest 52% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
10.5%±5.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cornish and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.4%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Cornish and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.8% ME: 36.2% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
69.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 56.1%±3.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
59.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Orono and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
$68,686±$2kHighest 8% below ME |
$59,784±$5kLowest 20% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,600±$40kHighest 8% below ME |
— | $262,900±$39kLowest 11% below ME |
| Orono and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,255±$112 10% above ME |
$1,135±$141Lowest about the ME average |
$1,280±$117Highest 12% above ME |
| Orono and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$4,778 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.1%±10.6 ME: 48.4% |
31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
60.2%±11.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 24.9% ME: 10.7% |
8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
27%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.6% ME: 74.3% |
79.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
41.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest same as ME |
1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 38% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.3%±3.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Orono and Orono 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 | — | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 26 | — | — |
| High school in town | Orono High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| 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.