Compare towns
Gray vs Limestone vs Raymond vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Limestone has the most affordable homes ($98k median).
Raymond has the most people working from home (32.3%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Limestone | Raymond | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,579Lowest |
4,610 |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.3±4.9 about the ME average |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Raymond and Limestone 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% |
20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Limestone 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% |
21.7%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Raymond and Limestone 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% |
20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Limestone and Gray 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 |
$49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% 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 |
$98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$395,800±$42kHighest 33% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Raymond and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$754±$233Lowest 34% below ME |
$965±$397 15% below 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 |
$1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,139 3% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Raymond 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% |
16.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #112 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | RSU 14 | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | None in town | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
8.6Lowest |
— | 14.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.