Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Orono
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 homeowners (82.4%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Orono has the youngest population (median age 21.8).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% 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 | Hermon | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,727Lowest |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% 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%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray 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% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest 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% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% 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 |
$272,600±$40kLowest 8% 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 |
$1,255±$112Lowest 10% 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 |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Gray 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% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Orono 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 | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.6Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.