Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Palermo
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%).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Palermo has the most people working from home (18.8%).
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 | New Gloucester | Palermo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
5,766 |
1,473Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
+2.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
43.4±6.1Highest 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Gray 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% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.2%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Palermo 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% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
31.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$89,095±$15kLowest 19% above ME |
| New Gloucester 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 |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$259,700±$54kLowest 12% below ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,235±$1k 8% above ME |
| Gray and Palermo 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 |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$2,506Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.6%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Palermo 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% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
31 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
18.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Palermo and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 12 |
| 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 History | 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.