Compare towns
Carmel vs Gray vs Raymond
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%).
Raymond has the most people working from home (32.3%).
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 | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
8,429Highest |
4,610 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Carmel 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% |
19.1%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Raymond and Gray 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%±4 ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Raymond and Gray 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% ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Raymond 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±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Raymond 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$395,800±$42kHighest 33% above ME |
| Raymond and Gray 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 |
$965±$397Lowest 15% below ME |
| 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 |
$3,139 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 16% above ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 |
| 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.