Compare towns
Dedham vs Gray vs Bucksport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most kids (23.8% under 18).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Bucksport has the most affordable homes ($252k 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 | Dedham | Gray | Bucksport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,429Highest |
5,016 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
42.7±12.2Lowest 5% below ME |
| Dedham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
17.9%±5.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
26.6%±7.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bucksport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
27.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$64,720±$21kLowest 13% below ME |
| Dedham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$252,300±$32kLowest 15% below ME |
| Gray and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$882±$92Lowest 23% below ME |
| Dedham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,021Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.9%±17 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bucksport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
74.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
28 minLowest 15% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Bucksport 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 | #68 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 25 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Bucksport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Lowest |
13.1Highest |
| 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.