Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Steep Falls
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%).
Steep Falls has the most affordable homes ($243k 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 | Steep Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
7,896 |
1,861Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
44.1±6.5Highest about the ME average |
| Steep Falls and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±9.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Steep Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
9.7%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Hampden 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% |
14.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±3.8Lowest 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 |
$80,280±$33kLowest 7% above 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 |
$243,400±$31kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,516±$1kHighest 33% above ME |
| Steep Falls 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 |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$3,273Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66.4%±36.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Steep Falls 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
4%±4.9Lowest 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 | — |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
14.8Highest |
— |
| 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.