Compare towns
Gray vs Appleton vs Hermon vs New Gloucester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
New Gloucester has the most people working from home (14.2%).
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 | Appleton | Hermon | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,360Lowest |
6,727 |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Hermon 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% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest 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 | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above 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 | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton 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% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Highest 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 | — | #54 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Appleton Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.6Highest |
— |
| 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.