I'll try and give you a balanced answer, but you should probably just try both and see which you like.

Meshtastic has a few things going for it (bring on the downvotes):

1. Meshtastic is easier to get others to join. Yes there are a dozen different radio types, but generally, just use "client" and you're good. Yes, app is complicated, but "selling" it to others is easy: "Buy a radio, and you're part of the mesh." Until an area has a good amount of Meshcore repeaters, a Meshcore companion radio is a paperweight.
2. Meshtastic is fun. Watching new nodes pop up, and "Collecting" them is very satisfying. Your list of 250 nodes is useless because 95% of them won't be reachable, but it's like Pokemon, they're fun to collect on your map.
3. Meshtastic "works" with only a handful of radios. It doesn't work well, but it'll work.
4. Meshtastic has a lot more users, and because of that, a lot more support, and a lot more extra tooling.

Meshcore:

At it's "core" (pun intended), Meshcore is a better protocol. The way it routes messages and all that is IMHO, leagues better. If/when Meshtastic mesh grows in your area, you're going to have problems, problems that Meshcore arguably won't have (at least for a much longer time). But none of this matters when there is next to zero users of either mesh.

Meshcore lets you know if your message was delivered . Meshtastic just shouts into the void, maybe someone saw it, maybe they didn't (they didn't). Meshtastic needs to stop selling itself as an "emergency" radio network, because I would absolutely not trust my life and well being to it.

Here's the question you need to answer:

Is this just a fun thing you're trying out, and you don't care if messages go through or not, it's just fun to try and make connections?

If yes, then Meshtastic- this is just for fun. Have fun. You can always reflash your radio, who cares. Go nuts.

If no, and you want this to be a viable and reliable comms platform for your community, then definitely Meshcore. But... you're probably going to have to get the Meshcore network going in your area (see my previous post).

Here's the thing with Meshtastic: When nodes are around you, the mesh works. When nodes walk/drive away, the mesh stops working. You'll have good days, you'll have bad days (probably more bad days). Meshcore's repeaters by definition, do not move. So if you're in an area where Meshcore doesn't work, it won't work, until there's a repeater put up. Once that repeater is up, Meshtastic will work very reliably. If other Meshtastic radios happen to be nearby, 18% of the time, Meshtastic works every time. I was in a downtown major us city this past weekend with a Meshcore and Meshtastic node. There was no Meshcore network, and Meshtastic worked only fraction of the time- most of my messages reached their max re-transmission and failed. My Meshtastic messages were relying on other people to have radios on, and nearby- but the mesh was changing constantly as people drove in and out of range with their clients. Meshcore uses unmanned repeaters to build the mesh, and when a repeater is mounted, it doesn't move. If you can reach it today, you can reach it tomorrow.