Compare towns
Gray vs Lunenburg vs Plainville
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 affordable homes ($364k median).
Lunenburg has the most kids (21.1% under 18).
Plainville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20.3%).
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 | Lunenburg | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
11,902Highest |
9,943 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+20.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
43.2±2.1Lowest 11% above U.S. |
43.2±3.6Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Gray and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±3Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Lunenburg and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Plainville and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Plainville 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 18% above U.S. |
$112,828±$11kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$104,106±$13k 29% above U.S. |
| Lunenburg and Plainville 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. |
$463,900±$24k 39% above U.S. |
$476,000±$35kHighest 43% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,974±$586 40% above U.S. |
$1,977±$197Highest 40% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Lunenburg 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. |
$6,401Highest 105% above U.S. |
$5,329 71% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.8%±13.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
53.8%±13.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 8% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 37% above U.S. |
29 min 10% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.8%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainville and Lunenburg 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 | #87 of 282 in MA | #102 of 282 in MA |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Lunenburg | Plainville |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Lunenburg High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.4Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.