Compare towns
Gray vs Dedham vs Readfield vs New Gloucester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
New Gloucester has the youngest population (median age 40.1).
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 | Dedham | Readfield | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,656Lowest |
2,651 |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Readfield and Dedham 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% |
23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Dedham 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% |
18.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield 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% ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
| Dedham and New Gloucester 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 |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,125±$844Lowest about the ME average |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Dedham 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 |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Readfield 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% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and New Gloucester 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 | — | #20 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.