Compare towns
Gray vs Appleton vs Washburn
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 highest household income ($95k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k 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 | Appleton | Washburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,360 |
1,355Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
48.2±7.7 8% above ME |
| Appleton and Washburn 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% |
21.7%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Washburn and Gray 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% |
24%±3.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Washburn 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% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Appleton 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 |
$56,196±$6k 25% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$1,571Lowest 48% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7Lowest 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% |
12.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9Lowest 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 | RSU 45/MSAD 45 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Washburn District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.0Lowest |
| 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.