Compare towns
Belgrade vs Eliot vs Gray vs Sidney
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 people working from home (20.4%).
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Eliot | Gray | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,351Lowest |
7,146 |
8,429Highest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
| Eliot and Belgrade 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% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest 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±$13k 18% above ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| Eliot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,859 6% below ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Eliot 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% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade and Eliot 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 | #19 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.