Compare towns
Gray vs Bowdoinham vs New Gloucester
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%).
Bowdoinham has the most people working from home (22%).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
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 | Bowdoinham | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
3,142Lowest |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
51.9±13.1Highest 16% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Bowdoinham and Gray 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% |
17.5%±6.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Gray 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% |
21.4%±6.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bowdoinham 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% |
43.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$108,479±$21k 45% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Bowdoinham 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 |
$405,500±$105kHighest 37% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Bowdoinham and Gray 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 |
— | $1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,958Lowest about the ME average |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
100%±19.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Bowdoinham and New Gloucester 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 | #73 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.