Compare towns
Dover vs Gray vs Rochester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+60%).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
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 | Dover | Gray | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,466 |
8,429Highest |
1,389Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +60%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.5±8.3Highest 38% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
53.3±7.6 37% above U.S. |
| Dover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 10.2%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.4%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 29.5%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
31.5%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Rochester and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
49%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $52,313±$7kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$72,676±$8k 10% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $332,900±$55k about the U.S. average |
$363,700±$20kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$253,600±$81kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Gray and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $670±$49Lowest 53% below U.S. |
$1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$929±$158 34% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,510Highest 45% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$3,977 28% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.1%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.4%±27.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Rochester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
27 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.2%±11.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
40.8%±27.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Rochester and Dover 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 | — |
| School district | River Valleys Unified School District #73 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 |
| 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 History | None yet | 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.