Compare towns
Carmel vs Gray vs Buxton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
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 | Carmel | Gray | Buxton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
8,429 |
8,512Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
| Carmel and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $82,188±$22kLowest 10% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% 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 | $256,800±$37kLowest 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187Lowest 12% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% 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 | $2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.