Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Brunswick 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 the oldest population (median age 43.4).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Hampden | Brunswick | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
7,896 |
17,652Highest |
5,766Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
40.1±5.5 10% below ME |
| Gray and Hampden 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% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and New Gloucester 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% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
45.9% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$70,722±$5kLowest 5% below ME |
$108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
| Hampden 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 |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Gray and Brunswick 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 |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| Brunswick 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 |
$3,694 22% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Gray 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% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Brunswick 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
14.8Highest |
— | — |
| 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.