Compare towns
Gray vs Mapleton vs Starks vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Topsham has the most people working from home (17.2%).
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 | Starks | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,884 |
556Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Starks and Topsham 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Topsham 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% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham and Starks 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% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 |
$63,500±$8kLowest 15% below ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% 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±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Starks 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% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Topsham and Gray 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 | — | — | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | — | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.