Compare towns
Gray vs Dayton vs Hermon
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 oldest population (median age 43.4).
Dayton has the most people working from home (16.3%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,313Lowest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% 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% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Dayton 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% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Dayton 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 |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| Dayton and Hermon 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 |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
| Dayton 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 |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray 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 |
$3,872Highest 28% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1990 13 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Dayton 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 | — | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dayton Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.6Highest |
| 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.