Compare towns
Auburn vs Gray vs Standish
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 renters (40.9% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
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 | Standish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
8,429Lowest |
10,662 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.5±2.8Lowest 10% 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% |
16.4%±3.1Lowest 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%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Gray 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% |
36% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$104,593±$15kHighest 40% above ME |
| Standish and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12kLowest 5% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
| Gray and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74 9% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish and Gray 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Standish 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 | #110 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #18 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Bonny Eagle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
12.5Lowest |
12.5Lowest |
| 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.