Compare towns
Gray vs Appleton vs Newburgh
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Newburgh has the most renters (18.8% rent).
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 | Newburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,360Lowest |
1,475 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
45.8±5.7 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Newburgh 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% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Newburgh 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% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Newburgh 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% |
29.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$76,750±$10k about the ME average |
| Gray and Newburgh 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 |
$244,600±$20k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$950±$219Lowest 17% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$2,748Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
11.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Appleton 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 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| 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.