Compare towns
China vs Gray vs Albion
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
China has the most homeowners (91.8%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Albion has the most people working from home (15.7%).
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 | China | Gray | Albion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,526 |
8,429Highest |
2,204Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.9±5.9Lowest 9% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
52.9±7.5Highest 18% above ME |
| Albion and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
12.5%±4.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| China and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.8%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Albion and China are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.9% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.2%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and China are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,309±$12kHighest 29% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$62,361±$23kLowest 17% below ME |
| China and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,000±$37k 19% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$230,900±$31kLowest 22% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,535 17% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,987Lowest 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 10.6%±25.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
46.2%±23.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Albion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 21% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 36% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.6%±4.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.7%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Albion and China 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 | #27 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 49/MSAD 49 |
| 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 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.