Compare towns
Gray vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Manchester has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,424Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME |
| Manchester and Gray 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% |
19%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Manchester 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Manchester 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 |
$92,031±$16kLowest 23% above ME |
| Gray and Manchester 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 |
$299,600±$40kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$993±$116Lowest 13% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,486Lowest 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Manchester 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% |
4.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Manchester 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.