Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Lake Arrowhead
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 people working from home (12.3%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Lake Arrowhead has the most kids (26.9% under 18).
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 | Hermon | Lake Arrowhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,727 |
3,322Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
33±2.4Lowest 26% below ME |
| Gray and Hermon 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% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
26.9%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Lake Arrowhead 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% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
7.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
26.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$98,654±$9kHighest 32% above ME |
| Lake Arrowhead 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±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$267,300±$19kLowest 10% below ME |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$2,288±$327Highest 101% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$2,286Lowest 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
0%±36.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1995 18 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
39 minHighest 57% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
14.6Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.