Compare towns
Chester vs Gray vs Columbia
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chester has the most renters (22.9% rent).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Columbia has the most affordable homes ($159k 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 | Chester | Gray | Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 598 |
8,429Highest |
529Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 44±10Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.9±6.4Lowest 6% below ME |
| Chester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.4%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Columbia and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.6%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
25.9%±5.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Columbia and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
9.1%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Columbia and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,500±$8k 14% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$56,667±$15kLowest 24% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $172,500±$59k 42% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$158,700±$19kLowest 46% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $833±$51Lowest 27% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$894±$162 22% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,378 55% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,226Lowest 60% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±37.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
61.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Columbia and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 34% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
31 min 27% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.7%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
9%±5.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Chester 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school 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.