Compare towns
Alstead vs Gray vs Hampton Beach
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Alstead has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Hampton Beach has the most people working from home (26.9%).
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 | Alstead | Gray | Hampton Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,551Lowest |
8,429Highest |
2,605 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+14.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56±3.3 44% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
60.4±2.4Highest 55% above U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.3%±3.1 U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
3.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Gray and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.8%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.7%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hampton Beach and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,526±$11kLowest 20% below U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$82,557±$17k about the U.S. average |
| Gray and Hampton Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $271,600±$37kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$508,900±$76kHighest 53% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,375±$130Highest about the U.S. average |
| Hampton Beach and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,322 71% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,115Highest 96% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 72.1%±22.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±20.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Alstead and Hampton Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 76% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.1%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
26.9%±6.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Fall Mountain Regional School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.