Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Mount Desert vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Mount Desert | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,727 |
1,671Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Windham 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham 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 |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% 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 |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Mount Desert 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% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Windham 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 | — | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.6Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
| 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.