Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Paris
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%).
Paris has the most people working from home (19.4%).
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 | Paris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,727 |
5,317Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
48.2±5.6Highest 8% above ME |
| Paris 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% |
15.8%±5.9Lowest 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% |
24.6%±5.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Paris 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% |
28.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±3.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Paris 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 |
$75,137±$20kLowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$240,400±$57kLowest 19% 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±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% 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 |
$2,649Lowest 13% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.3%±13.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Paris 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% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
60.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
22 minLowest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.4%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Paris 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 | #114 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 17/MSAD 17 |
| 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 |
— |
| 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.