Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Wells vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Wells has the most expensive homes ($485k median).
Hermon has the most renters (24.8% rent).
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 | Wells | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
7,896 |
11,713Highest |
6,727Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Hermon 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| Hampden and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon 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 |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | Wells High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.8Highest |
11.4Lowest |
14.6 |
| 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.