Compare towns
Gray vs Deer Isle 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 most expensive homes ($364k median).
Deer Isle has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Deer Isle | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,470Lowest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.1% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Deer Isle and Gray 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% |
14.7%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.8%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Deer Isle and Hermon 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% |
35.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$62,284±$15kLowest 17% below ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
| Hermon 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 |
$308,300±$42kLowest 4% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$1,909±$927Highest 68% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
| Deer Isle and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,890Lowest 38% below ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hermon 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% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
20 minLowest 17% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Deer Isle 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 | Deer Isle-Stonington CSD | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
8.0Lowest |
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.