Compare towns
Gray vs Bowdoin vs Hermon vs Berwick
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Bowdoin has the most affordable homes ($293k median).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Bowdoin | Hermon | Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
3,188Lowest |
6,727 |
8,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
| Bowdoin 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% |
19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4Highest 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon 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% |
30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$91,239±$13kLowest 22% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$94,771±$24k 27% 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 |
$292,800±$71kLowest about the ME average |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% 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±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
— | $1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% 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 |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 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% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1992 15 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Gray 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 60/MSAD 60 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.6Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.