Compare towns
Buxton vs Gray vs Chapman
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
Gray has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Chapman has the most affordable homes ($186k 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 | Buxton | Gray | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,512Highest |
8,429 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
45.7±11.4Highest about the ME average |
| Chapman and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.2%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$93,125±$17kLowest 25% above ME |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$185,700±$22kLowest 37% below ME |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
— |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,422 13% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.9%±26.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 39% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±3.1 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Buxton 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 | #104 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.