What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dudley has the most affordable homes ($393k median).

Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).

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	Dudley	Gorham
People
Population	11,929Lowest	18,300Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+11.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.2±2.4Highest 3% above U.S.	39.4±2.9Lowest about the U.S. average
	Dudley and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	20.9%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Gorham and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.9%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.5%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gorham and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	13.1%±2 U.S.: 6.4%	13.1%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,604±$12kLowest 5% above U.S.	$112,312±$6kHighest 39% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$392,600±$19kLowest 18% above U.S.	$460,900±$26kHighest 39% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,217±$182Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,680±$355Highest 19% above U.S.
	Gorham and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,691Lowest 18% above U.S.	$4,825Highest 55% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	37.9%±8.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dudley and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	81.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.	27 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	9.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#142 of 282 in MA	#24 of 133 in ME
School district	Dudley-Charlton Reg	Gorham Public Schools
High school in town	Shepherd Hill Regional High	Gorham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.3Highest	12.9Lowest
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.