Compare towns
Waterville vs Cornish vs Oakland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
Cornish has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).
Oakland has the most kids (23.8% under 18).
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 | Waterville | Cornish | Oakland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,077Highest |
1,803Lowest |
6,309 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.7% ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
40.2±6.9Highest 10% below ME |
| Oakland and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±5.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Oakland and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±2.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.2%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Waterville and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
24.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$77,813±$16kHighest 4% above ME |
| Oakland and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$236,000±$23k 20% below ME |
| Cornish and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $978±$72 14% below ME |
$1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$939±$74Lowest 18% below ME |
| Cornish and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,755Highest 9% below ME |
$2,309Lowest 24% below ME |
$2,439 20% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Oakland and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
27 min 8% above ME |
| Work from home | 16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #105 of 133 in ME | — | #23 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Waterville Public Schools | — | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Waterville Senior High School | — | Messalonskee High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Lowest |
— | 14.2Highest |
| 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.