Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Orrington
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%).
Orrington has the oldest population (median age 49.5).
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 | Orrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,727 |
3,853Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
49.5±3.3Highest 10% above ME |
| Orrington 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% |
16.4%±4.8Lowest 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%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
23.8%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Orrington 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest 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±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$94,556±$10kLowest 27% above 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 |
$309,000±$49kLowest 4% above 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 |
$1,167±$135Lowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$2,823 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
11.9%±20.6Lowest 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% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Orrington 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 | #41 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | Orrington Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | 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 |
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.