Compare towns
Bangor vs Carmel vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
Carmel has the oldest population (median age 46.4).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Bangor | Carmel | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
2,941Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Carmel and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1% ME: 36.2% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$82,188±$22k 10% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$256,800±$37k 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.6% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Bangor 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 | #37 of 133 in ME | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
— | 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.