Compare towns
Augusta vs Gray vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Augusta has the most renters (46.2% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Manchester has the oldest population (median age 46.9).
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 | Augusta | Gray | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
8,429 |
2,424Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME |
| Manchester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Manchester and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,031±$16k 23% above ME |
| Gray and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$299,600±$40k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$993±$116 13% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,486 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Augusta 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 | #119 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Cony | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— |
| 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.