Compare towns
Gray vs Belgrade vs Cumberland
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 renters (17.6% rent).
Belgrade has the most affordable homes ($312k median).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.5%).
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 | Belgrade | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
3,351Lowest |
8,647Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
41.9±4Lowest 6% below ME |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Cumberland and Belgrade 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% |
23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.1% ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Gray 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 |
$88,338±$13kLowest 18% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
| Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland and Belgrade 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 | #71 of 133 in ME | #25 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 18 | RSU 51/MSAD 51 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Greely High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 9.5Lowest |
| 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.