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.
| Measure | Cumberland | Gray | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| 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.


