Compare towns
Gray vs Henniker vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
Topsham has the most people working from home (17.2%).
Henniker is a college town. 27% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Henniker | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,197Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+27.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
31.1±6.1Lowest 20% below U.S. |
44.7±4Highest 15% above U.S. |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.5%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Topsham 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
41.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
50%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
27%±6.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$95,206±$21k 18% above U.S. |
$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S. |
| Gray and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$356,700±$49kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$360,800±$20k 8% above U.S. |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,081±$164Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,355±$642 4% below U.S. |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$8,877Highest 185% above U.S. |
$4,259 37% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.5%±22.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.5%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Topsham and Henniker 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 | #56 of 120 in NH | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Henniker School District | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.