Compare towns
Gray vs Alton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Alton has the most affordable homes ($180k median).
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 | Gray | Alton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
819Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.1±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
16.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$62,955±$9kLowest 16% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$179,500±$25kLowest 39% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$866±$48Lowest 24% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,476Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
76.3%±88.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.3%±7.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Alton 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 34 |
| 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 Our Story | 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.