Compare towns
Dayton vs Gray vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dayton has the highest household income ($114k).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Dayton | Gray | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,313Lowest |
8,429 |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.1±5.5Lowest 6% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
| Saco and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
| Dayton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $398,200±$34k 34% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Saco and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,872 28% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Saco and Dayton 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dayton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools |
| 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 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.