Compare towns
Belgrade vs Cumberland vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belgrade has the most affordable homes ($312k median).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.5%).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
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 | Belgrade | Cumberland | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,351Lowest |
8,647Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
41.9±4Lowest 6% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cumberland and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.1% ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,338±$13kLowest 18% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland and Belgrade 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 | #71 of 133 in ME | #25 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 51/MSAD 51 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | None in town | Greely High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.5Lowest |
12.5Highest |
| 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.