Compare towns
Gray vs Dayton vs Gorham
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 the most homeowners (89.7%).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
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 | Gorham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,313Lowest |
18,300Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% 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%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Dayton 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% |
17.5%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Gorham 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% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$112,312±$6k 50% above ME |
| Dayton and Gorham 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±$34k 34% above ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
| Gorham 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 |
$3,872 28% above ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
27 minLowest 10% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Gorham and Dayton 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 | — | #24 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dayton Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Gorham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 12.9Highest |
| 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.