Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Mapleton vs Strong
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).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Mapleton | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,727 |
1,884 |
1,249Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
| Strong 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% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton 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%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Strong and Hermon 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% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
| Hermon 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 |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% 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±$89 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 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%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
14.6Highest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.