Compare towns
Gray vs Bethel
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Bethel has the most people working from home (27.7%).
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 | Bethel |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,617Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
50.2±6.4Highest 12% above ME |
| Bethel and Gray 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% |
15.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Bethel 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% |
29.3%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bethel and Gray 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% |
41.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Bethel 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 |
$58,929±$23kLowest 21% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$344,900±$37kLowest 16% above ME |
| Gray and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$864±$43Lowest 24% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,835Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.3%±15.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bethel 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% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 5% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
27.7%±8.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | #49 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 44/MSAD 44 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Telstar High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.