Compare towns
Gray vs Manchester vs Raymond
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).
Raymond has the most people working from home (32.3%).
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 | Manchester | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,424Lowest |
4,610 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
46.9±4.6 5% above ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Manchester 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% |
19%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Raymond and Gray 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% |
22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Manchester and Raymond 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% ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Raymond 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±$16k 23% above ME |
$88,194±$20kLowest 18% 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$299,600±$40kLowest about the ME average |
$395,800±$42kHighest 33% 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±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$993±$116 13% below ME |
$965±$397Lowest 15% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,486 15% above ME |
$3,139Lowest 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5 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% |
4.5% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.