Compare towns
Auburn vs Gray vs Sanford
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 shortest commute (22 min average).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Sanford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+125.2%).
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 | Sanford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
8,429Lowest |
22,247 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+125.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.1±2.8 6% below ME |
| Gray and Sanford 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%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.3%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Auburn and Sanford 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% |
20.8%±2.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sanford 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
24.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±0.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$72,524±$7k about the ME average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$280,200±$10kLowest 6% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,152±$72 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687 21% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$3,708Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±7.9Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 14% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.8%±2Lowest 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 | #100 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Sanford Public Schools |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Sanford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1 |
12.5Lowest |
17.7Highest |
| 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.