Compare towns
Embden vs Gray vs Solon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Embden has the most people working from home (18.7%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Solon has the oldest housing (typical home built 1978).
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 | Embden | Gray | Solon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 995 |
8,429Highest |
963Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±5.1Highest 35% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
45.9±5.4 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 13.2%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.6%±9.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Embden and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,875±$23kLowest 24% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$69,205±$20k 7% below ME |
| Gray and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $173,400±$59kLowest 42% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$183,600±$12k 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$915±$100Lowest 20% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,804Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,854 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 34% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.7%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Embden and Gray 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 | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 74/MSAD 74 |
| High school 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 |
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.