Compare towns
Gray vs Berwick vs Topsham vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Topsham has the oldest population (median age 44.7).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Berwick | Topsham | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
8,175 |
9,706Highest |
6,727Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
| Topsham 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% |
22.7%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Berwick 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% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham 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% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$94,771±$24k 27% above ME |
$91,028±$10kLowest 22% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
| Berwick and Gray 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 |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,355±$642Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
| Berwick and Hermon 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 |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Berwick 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% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Topsham 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Mt Ararat High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 12.2Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.