The Town FilesCornish, Maine
Town in York County · population 1,508 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $274,200
- Household income
- $69,038
- Jan low / Jul high
- 6° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 78 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 39.0
Cornish is a town of 1,508 people in York County, Maine. The median home is worth $274,200, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cornish is worth $274,200, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $69,038, which is more affordable than 32% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,196 a month. 82.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cornish | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $274,200 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $1,196 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $69,038 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 82.1% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 11.0% | — |
Who lives in Cornish
| People | Cornish | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.0 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.4% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 18.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 12.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.4% | — |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.3% | 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.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 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 28, 2014 about 9.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 11, 2020.
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
York County has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2024 | Winter Storm | DR-4785: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| March 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| March 15, 2022 | Coastal Storm | DR-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 3.8%.
Towns near Cornish
- Cornish, ME2.4 mi · 764 people · home —
- Kezar Falls, ME4.3 mi · 736 people · home $234,100
- Parsonsfield, ME4.9 mi · 1,791 people · home $272,100
- Limerick, ME5.6 mi · 3,188 people · home $269,400
- Limington, ME5.6 mi · 3,892 people · home $295,600
- Hiram, ME5.8 mi · 1,609 people · home $256,600
- Baldwin, ME5.9 mi · 1,520 people · home $263,200
- Lake Arrowhead, ME8.0 mi · 3,192 people · home $267,300
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%. 17.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.0).
How much does a house cost in Cornish?
The median owner-occupied home in Cornish is valued at $274,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,038, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,196 a month.
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?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cornish since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 28, 2014. The typical Maine town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)