Compare towns
Exeter vs Gray vs New Gloucester vs Lee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
New Gloucester has the most people working from home (14.2%).
Lee has the most homeowners (97%).
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 | Exeter | Gray | New Gloucester | Lee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,093 |
8,429Highest |
5,766 |
925Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
-0.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
51.5±11.5 15% above ME |
| Exeter and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Lee and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
14.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,408±$12k 13% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$49,886±$5kLowest 33% below ME |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$174,500±$25k 41% below ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
— |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602 47% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$1,547Lowest 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
80%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Lee and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
19.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
97%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
35 min 41% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
| New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 30/MSAD 30 |
| High school in town | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.