Compare towns
Gray vs Hermon vs Wells vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hermon has the most kids (21.6% under 18).
Wells has the most expensive homes ($485k median).
Topsham has the oldest housing (typical home built 1980).
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 | Wells | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,727Lowest |
11,713Highest |
9,706 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Topsham 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,355±$642 19% 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 |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Wells and Topsham 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hermon Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hermon High School | Wells High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.6Highest |
11.4Lowest |
12.2 |
| 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.