Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Mapleton vs Starks
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).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Mapleton has the most renters (20.1% rent).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
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 | Mapleton | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
7,896 |
1,884 |
556Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
| Starks 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% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mapleton 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%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Starks 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$63,500±$8kLowest 15% below ME |
| Hampden 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 |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,063±$301 7% below ME |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Starks 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| 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 History | 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.