Compare towns
Gray vs Kingston vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Kingston has the highest household income ($105k).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
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 | Kingston | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
6,275Lowest |
6,758 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
55.5±5.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Gray and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.7%±6 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Kingston 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 18% above U.S. |
$105,330±$12kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Kingston 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±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$492,900±$58kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
| Kingston and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,393±$156Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Kingston and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$7,906Highest 153% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±46.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
74.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 8% above U.S. |
34 minHighest 29% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.7%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith and Kingston 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 | #78 of 120 in NH | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Sanborn Regional School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Sanborn Regional High School | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
12.9Highest |
11.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.