Compare towns
Eliot vs Gray vs Durham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k median).
Durham has the most people working from home (20.9%).
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.
| Measure | Eliot | Gray | Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,146 |
8,429Highest |
4,262Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
42.6±5.9Lowest 5% below ME |
| Eliot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.7%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Durham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.8%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±3.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$99,181±$5k 33% above ME |
| Eliot and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$322,200±$34kLowest 9% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$3,781 25% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±40.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 9% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Durham and Eliot 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 | #19 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #14 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 05 |
| 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.