Compare towns
Bath vs Gray vs Hermon vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Saco has the most expensive homes ($413k median).
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 | Bath | Gray | Hermon | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,429 |
6,727Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
| Bath and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Saco 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
14.6 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.