The Town Files

Cornish, Maine

Community in York County · population 764 (2020 Census)

Map: where Cornish is in MaineCornish
Household income
$68,686
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 79°
Snow a year
78 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
39.2

Cornish is a community of 764 people in York County, Maine. It ranks better transit than 83% of Maine towns, better for families than 81% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 75% of Maine towns.

How Cornish ranks

Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.

Cornish lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement30th pctFamilies81st pctQuiet71st pctWalkability46th pctFirst-time buyers74th pctYoung professionals41st pctVibrancy40th pctHip & trendy51st pctCollege town26th pctUpscale60th pctVacation homes75th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit83rd pctDriving42nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $1,135 a month. 79.2% of households own their home.

Cornish vs York County vs typical Maine townCornishYork CountyTypical Maine townHousehold income$68,686$88,333$68,967Monthly rent$1,135$1,339$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingCornishTypical Maine town
Median home value—$238,950
Median rent$1,135$1,027
Median household income$68,686$68,967
Home value ÷ income—×3.4×
Homeownership79.2%82.4%
Median year built19581978
Seasonal / vacation homes4.7%—

Who lives in Cornish

PeopleCornishTypical Maine town
Median age39.246.9
Age 65 and over15.2%22.9%
Under 1810.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher16.1%28.2%
Below the poverty line8.3%10.7%
Veterans17.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.8%—
Work from home7.4%12.3%
Average commute31.8 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband88.9%90.0%

Weather in Cornish

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 6.2°F. About 49.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 77.9 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 185 nights at or below freezing.

Cornish monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing29°6°Jan32°7°Feb40°18°Mar54°30°Apr66°41°May74°51°Jun79°56°Jul78°54°Aug70°46°Sep57°35°Oct45°26°Nov34°15°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.319.23.317.44.116.04.54.43.84.54.13.84.15.44.53.34.417.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the East Hiram station (5.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cornish since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 21, 2010 about 9.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 11, 2020.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Cornish by decade01950s11960s21970s11980s01990s02000s22010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on June 1, 1986.

Severe weather in York County since 1996

Storm events in York County since 1996 by typeHail127Flood27Drought46High Wind59Lightning43Heavy Snow224Strong Wind74Winter Storm72
NOAA Storm Events Database, York County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

York County has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 24, 2024Winter StormDR-4785: Severe Winter Storm
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
March 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 15, 2022Coastal StormDR-4647: Severe Storm And Flooding

Jobs and pay in York County

York County had 79,378 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,811 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Cornish itself the ACS puts it at 1.4%.

Largest industries in York CountyHotels & restaurants10,952 jobs · $34,803Health care & social assistan…10,240 jobs · $59,472Retail10,037 jobs · $39,395Manufacturing8,800 jobs · $73,663Construction4,315 jobs · $69,632Professional & technical serv…3,182 jobs · $105,670
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in York County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023York 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Cornish

Cornish questions

Is Cornish, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cornish scores better for retirees than 30% of Maine towns and quieter than 71%. 15.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.2).

What is the weather like in Cornish?

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 6.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.7 inches of precipitation a year and 77.9 inches of snow.

Does Cornish get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cornish since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 21, 2010. The typical Maine town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Cornish's Census boundary (GEOID 2314450). Comparisons use the median of Maine towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.