Compare towns
Gray vs Dedham vs Union
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 highest household income ($111k).
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
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 | Dedham | Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,656Lowest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Dedham and Gray 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% |
23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Union 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%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Union 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% |
34.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Union 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 |
$80,724±$9kLowest 8% above ME |
| Dedham 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±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$267,600±$42kLowest 10% below ME |
| Gray and Dedham 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 |
$1,179±$452Lowest 4% above ME |
| 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 |
$3,276Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Union 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% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Union 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.