Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Cornish’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living and history. Only 26 of Maine’s 285 towns score higher on cost of living. Cornish is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Odd Fellows-Rebekah Hall and Caleb R. Ayer House. Cornish has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cornish beats most towns.
Odd Fellows-Rebekah Hall
Census counts: 409 in 1790, a low of 409 in 1790, 1,508 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 3 maps from 1910 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Cornish is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cornish, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Cornish.
Most working residents leave Cornish for work: only 9% work in town. At 31 minutes, Cornish’s average trip to work is above both Maine’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Cornish has added 104 jobs, to 498 in 2023.
| Cornish | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cornish has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. At 80°F, Cornish’s July high is near the Maine town median (79°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cornish beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of Cornish adults smoke cigarettes.
| Cornish | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cornish | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 60.7% | 63.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Cornish home is worth about $390,000, up 3.5% in a year, 5% below the Maine typical home.
| Cornish | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,196 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
14 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is The Heath, at 176 acres.
| Cornish | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Heath | 0.5 mi | 176 |
| 2. Saco River Access | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Cornish; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Cornish residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Cornish’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Cornish on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Cornish.
5 towns share a border with Cornish.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish | — | — | A− | — | B− | C+ |
| Hiram | — | — | C− | — | B− | C |
| Baldwin | — | — | B | — | B− | C+ |
| Parsonsfield | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C |
| Limington | #57 | B | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Limerick | #49 | B | C+ | — | B+ | B |
Cornish, Hiram, Baldwin and Parsonsfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Cornish, Hiram, Baldwin, Parsonsfield, Limington and Limerick report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cornish with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
3 notable people were born here, including David Dunn and David Hammons.
