What stands out worked out from the figures below

Caribou has the most affordable homes ($134k median).

Gray has the most expensive 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Caribou	Gray
People
Population	7,382Lowest	8,429Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.7%Lowest ME: +2.6%	+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	51.3±1.7Highest 15% above ME	43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME
Kids under 18	16.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1%	19%±4Highest ME: 18.1%
	Gray and Caribou are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4%	19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Caribou and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.8%Lowest ME: 36.2%	44.8%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.4%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8%	5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8%
	Gray and Caribou are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$53,709±$9kLowest 28% below ME	$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$134,100±$31kLowest 55% below ME	$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$757±$143Lowest 34% below ME	$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,680Lowest 45% below ME	$3,683Highest 21% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.3%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4%	56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4%
	Gray and Caribou 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%	3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3%	82.4%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Lowest 17 yrs older than ME	1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	15 minLowest 40% below ME	29 minHighest 16% above ME
Work from home	12.5%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9%	12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Caribou 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	#59 of 133 in ME	#10 of 133 in ME
School district	RSU 39	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences
High school in town	Caribou High School	Gray-New Gloucester High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.2Highest	12.5Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.