Compare towns

Cumberland vs Gray vs Sidney

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cumberland has the highest household income ($174k).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Sidney has the most affordable homes ($336k 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.

MeasureCumberlandGraySidney
People
Population
8,647Highest
8,429
4,790Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+17.5%Highest
ME: +2.6%
+6.5%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
+10.4%
ME: +2.6%
Median age
41.9±4Lowest
6% below ME
43.4±4.5Highest
3% below ME
43±5.5
4% below ME
Gray and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
25.6%±3.7Highest
ME: 18.1%
19%±4Lowest
ME: 18.1%
23.1%±5.6
ME: 18.1%
Cumberland and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
19.8%±2.9Highest
ME: 22.4%
19.3%±4
ME: 22.4%
18.4%±3.6Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
72.5%Highest
ME: 36.2%
44.8%
ME: 36.2%
33.5%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.9%±1.6
ME: 5.8%
5.4%±2.2Highest
ME: 5.8%
1.5%±1.2Lowest
ME: 5.8%
Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$173,894±$20kHighest
133% above ME
$95,236±$8k
27% above ME
$83,488±$10kLowest
12% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$616,800±$42kHighest
108% above ME
$363,700±$20k
23% above ME
$336,200±$34kLowest
13% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$2,143±$759Highest
88% above ME
$1,371±$89
20% above ME
$1,340±$304Lowest
18% above ME
Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$7,116Highest
134% above ME
$3,683
21% above ME
$2,474Lowest
19% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
47.1%±31.3
ME: 48.4%
56.4%±24Highest
ME: 48.4%
16.4%±17.5Lowest
ME: 48.4%
Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
3.1%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
3.5%
ME: 10.7%
6.4%Highest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
90.9%Highest
ME: 74.3%
82.4%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
89.4%
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1984
7 yrs newer than ME
1983Lowest
6 yrs newer than ME
1996Highest
19 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
24 minLowest
about the ME average
29 minHighest
16% above ME
25 min
about the ME average
Work from home
25.3%±7Highest
ME: 15.9%
12.3%±3.5Lowest
ME: 15.9%
14.3%±5.9
ME: 15.9%
Cumberland and Sidney 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 #25 of 133 in ME #10 of 133 in ME #15 of 133 in ME
School district RSU 51/MSAD 51 RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences RSU 18
High school in town Greely High School Gray-New Gloucester High School None in town
Students per teacherat that high school
9.5Lowest
12.5Highest
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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.