Compare towns
Appleton vs Gray vs Penobscot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Penobscot has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Appleton | Gray | Penobscot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
8,429Highest |
1,154Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
| Penobscot and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±6 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Penobscot and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$63,194±$14k 15% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$296,400±$58k about the ME average |
| Gray and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,141±$33 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,852Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Penobscot Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME 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.