Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Mars Hill
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%).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k 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 | Mars Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
7,896 |
1,398Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mars Hill 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% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill 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% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Lowest 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 |
$65,273±$9kLowest 13% 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 |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% 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 |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Mars Hill 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% |
9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest 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 42/MSAD 42 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.8Highest |
8.0Lowest |
| 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.