Compare towns
Boothbay vs Gray vs Hampden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Boothbay | Gray | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,102Lowest |
8,429Highest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Boothbay and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $342,100±$43k 15% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,147±$121Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±31 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 13 minLowest 46% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Gray 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 | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.