Compare towns
Gray vs Hope vs Readfield
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 highest household income ($95k).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Hope | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,748Lowest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Hope 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% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope 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% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
| Gray and Hope 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 |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
| Hope and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,125±$844Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Hope 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 |
$3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hope 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% |
5.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Hope 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 | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Hope Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
| 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.