Compare towns
Barnet vs Gray vs Sharon vs Wallingford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barnet has the most affordable homes ($248k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Sharon has the most renters (20.3% rent).
Wallingford has the shortest commute (25 min average).
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 | Barnet | Gray | Sharon | Wallingford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,855 |
8,429Highest |
1,577Lowest |
2,286 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.7±5.3Highest 23% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
45.6±7.7 17% above U.S. |
45.9±10.8 18% above U.S. |
| Barnet and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±4.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
21%±5 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Barnet and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 28.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.1%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.9%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Barnet and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,386±$15kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$84,375±$17k 5% above U.S. |
$80,230±$15k about the U.S. average |
| Gray and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $247,900±$24kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$363,700±$20kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$346,700±$37k 4% above U.S. |
$261,900±$44k 21% below U.S. |
| Gray and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $974±$72 31% below U.S. |
$1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,386±$155Highest about the U.S. average |
$891±$95Lowest 37% below U.S. |
| Sharon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,489 44% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$5,903Highest 89% above U.S. |
$4,355 40% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.3%±29.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24 U.S.: 51.1% |
19.8%±17.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
14.3%±13.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Barnet and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.3%±4.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.7%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Barnet and Sharon 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Sharon School District | Mill River Unified Union School District #52 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.