Compare towns
Carmel vs Gray vs New Gloucester
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%).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
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 | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
8,429Highest |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Carmel and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Carmel 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% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester 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 |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Carmel 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 |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| New Gloucester 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| 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.