Compare towns
Gray vs Franklin vs Chapman
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).
Franklin has the most renters (23.2% rent).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
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 | Franklin | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,628 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
46±9.3Highest about the ME average |
45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
| Franklin and Chapman 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% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman 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% |
25.6%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Franklin 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% |
28.5% ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$65,455±$16kLowest 12% below ME |
$93,125±$17k 25% above ME |
| Gray and Chapman 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 |
$245,800±$59k 17% below ME |
$185,700±$22kLowest 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$888±$306Lowest 22% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,231 27% below ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Franklin 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% |
15.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
76.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Franklin 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 | — | — |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — |
| 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.