Compare towns
Gray vs Brunswick vs Hermon vs Topsham
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 homeowners (82.4%).
Brunswick has the most people working from home (19.8%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Topsham has the oldest population (median age 44.7).
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 | Brunswick | Hermon | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
22,336Highest |
6,727Lowest |
9,706 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
| Topsham 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% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Topsham 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% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham and Brunswick 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% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% 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 |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Brunswick 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 |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,355±$642Lowest 19% above ME |
| Brunswick 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 |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Brunswick High School | Hermon High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
10.9Lowest |
14.6Highest |
12.2 |
| 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.