Compare towns
Gardiner vs Gray vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Gardiner | Gray | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088Lowest |
8,429Highest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6 6% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Gray and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gardiner 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
12.5 |
14.6Highest |
| 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.