Compare towns
Biddeford vs Dayton vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Dayton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k 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 | Biddeford | Dayton | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
2,313Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Gray and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Dayton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25k 34% above ME |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Dayton and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$3,872 28% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Dayton and Biddeford 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 | #111 of 133 in ME | — | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | Dayton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
| 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.