What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).

Buckfield has the most affordable homes ($228k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Gray	Buckfield
People
Population	8,429Highest	2,403Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6%	-1.3%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME	37.7±10.1Lowest 16% below ME
	Gray and Buckfield 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%	25.7%±7.7Highest ME: 18.1%
	Buckfield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4%	13.7%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Gray and Buckfield 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%	26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8%	1.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Gray and Buckfield 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	$77,917±$41kLowest 4% above ME
	Gray and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME	$227,700±$18kLowest 23% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME	$521±$33Lowest 54% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,683Highest 21% above ME	$2,860Lowest 6% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4%	0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Gray and Buckfield 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%	5.8%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3%	94.9%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983 6 yrs newer than ME	1983 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 16% above ME	31 minHighest 25% above ME
Work from home	12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%	15.6%±12.5Highest ME: 15.9%
	Buckfield 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	—
School district	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences	RSU 10
High school in town	Gray-New Gloucester High School	Buckfield Jr-Sr High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Highest	10.2Lowest
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.