Compare towns
Gray vs Lake Arrowhead vs Hampden
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).
Lake Arrowhead has the youngest population (median age 33).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Lake Arrowhead | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
3,322Lowest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
33±2.4Lowest 26% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.9%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Lake Arrowhead and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
7.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
26.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$98,654±$9k 32% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden and Lake Arrowhead 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 |
$267,300±$19kLowest 10% below ME |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$2,288±$327Highest 101% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$2,286Lowest 25% below ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±36.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
39 minHighest 57% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | — | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
| 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.