Compare towns
Auburn vs Gray vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most kids (21.4% under 18).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Bangor has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Auburn | Gray | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602 |
8,429Lowest |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
| Gray and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Auburn and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5k 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,055±$43 7% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,076Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 12% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Auburn 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 | #110 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1 |
12.5Lowest |
13.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.