Compare towns
Gray vs Cumberland vs Hampden
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 renters (17.6% rent).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.5%).
Hampden has the most affordable homes ($301k 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.
| Measure | Gray | Cumberland | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
8,647Highest |
7,896Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.9±4 6% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Gray and Cumberland 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% |
25.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Cumberland 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% |
19.8%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Cumberland 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
45.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
$111,959±$13k 50% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
| Cumberland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
$3,694 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland and Hampden 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 | #25 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 51/MSAD 51 | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Greely High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
9.5Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.