Compare towns
China vs Gray vs Palermo
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 affordable homes ($240k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Palermo has the most people working from home (18.8%).
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 | Palermo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,526 |
8,429Highest |
1,473Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.9±5.9Lowest 9% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
43.4±6.1Highest 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.3Lowest 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%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.2%±2 ME: 22.4% |
| China and Palermo 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% |
31.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Palermo 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 |
$89,095±$15kLowest 19% above 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±$37kLowest 19% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$259,700±$54k 12% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,235±$1kLowest 8% above ME |
| Gray and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,535 17% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,506Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 10.6%±25.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
65.6%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Palermo and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 21% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.6%±4.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Palermo 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 12 |
| 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.