Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs New Gloucester vs Sidney
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%).
New Gloucester has the highest household income ($109k).
Sidney has the most homeowners (89.4%).
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 | New Gloucester | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,727 |
5,766 |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Gray and Sidney 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% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Sidney 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% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 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% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| New Gloucester 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±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,340±$304 18% 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 | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1996 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Sidney and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 18 |
| 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 |
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| 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.