Compare towns
Gray vs Mapleton vs Brewer 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%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Mapleton | Brewer | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,884Lowest |
9,652Highest |
4,610 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Gray 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer 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% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$965±$397 15% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,139 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Brewer 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Brewer High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.0Highest |
— |
| 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.