Compare towns
Bangor vs Gray vs Augusta
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).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Augusta has the most people working from home (15.1%).
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 | Gray | Augusta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
8,429Lowest |
19,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
| Gray and Augusta 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% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.9%±2.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Augusta and Bangor 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% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10k 26% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
49.2%±8.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
53.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.1%±3.7Highest 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 | #37 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #119 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Cony |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
12.5Lowest |
17.9Highest |
| 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.