Compare towns
Gray vs Dayton vs Biddeford
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 affordable homes ($364k median).
Dayton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
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 | Dayton | Biddeford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,313Lowest |
22,498Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
| Gray and Dayton 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% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton 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% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Biddeford 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% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
| Dayton 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±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
$396,600±$25k 34% above ME |
| Dayton and Biddeford 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 |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,292±$100 13% above ME |
| Gray and Biddeford 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 |
$3,872 28% above ME |
$4,401Highest 45% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Dayton 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% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Dayton and Biddeford 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 | — | #111 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dayton Public Schools | Biddeford Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Biddeford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.1Highest |
| 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.