Compare towns
Brewer vs Gray vs Sutton vs Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Sutton has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k 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 | Brewer | Gray | Sutton | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
8,429 |
9,452 |
6,088Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
44.3±2.5Highest 14% above U.S. |
42±3.6 8% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.8%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brewer and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brewer and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$95,236±$8k 18% above U.S. |
$147,125±$25kHighest 82% above U.S. |
$71,782±$10k 11% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 26% below U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$523,100±$47kHighest 57% above U.S. |
$221,600±$19kLowest 33% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,190±$401 16% below U.S. |
$1,113±$191 21% below U.S. |
| Gray and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 8% above U.S. |
$3,683 18% above U.S. |
$6,763Highest 117% above U.S. |
$2,742Lowest 12% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.5%±24.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.9%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #105 of 282 in MA | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Sutton | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Sutton High School | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
12.5 |
12.6 |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.