Compare towns
Gray vs Mapleton vs Steep Falls vs Hermon
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 most people working from home (12.3%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Steep Falls has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Steep Falls | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,884 |
1,861Lowest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.4% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
44.1±6.5Highest about the ME average |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Steep Falls 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%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±9.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Steep Falls and Mapleton 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%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
9.7%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon 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 ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
14.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$80,280±$33kLowest 7% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray 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±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$243,400±$31k 18% below ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,516±$1kHighest 33% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
| Steep Falls and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,273 8% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66.4%±36.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Steep Falls and Gray 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.2% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
80.2% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
4%±4.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 | — | — | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | — | 14.6Highest |
| 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.