What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).

Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Cumberland	Gray
People
Population	36,820Highest	8,429Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.5±1.2Highest 12% above U.S.	43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S.
	Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.4%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22%	19%±4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.3%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.8% U.S.: 35.7%	44.8% U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.1%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	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	$117,522±$8kHighest 46% above U.S.	$95,236±$8kLowest 18% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,000±$15kHighest 30% above U.S.	$363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$109Highest about the U.S. average	$1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average
	Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,870Highest 56% above U.S.	$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.9%±9.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	29 minHighest 8% above U.S.
Work from home	14.8%±2.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Cumberland and Gray 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	#18 of 38 in RI	#10 of 133 in ME
School district	Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences
High school in town	Cumberland High School	Gray-New Gloucester High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.6Highest	12.5Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.