Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Sidney vs Cumberland
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 oldest population (median age 43.4).
New Gloucester has the youngest population (median age 40.1).
Sidney has the most affordable homes ($336k median).
Cumberland has the most people working from home (25.3%).
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 | New Gloucester | Sidney | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766 |
4,790Lowest |
8,647Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4% ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
41.9±4 6% below ME |
| Gray and Sidney 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% |
24.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Cumberland and New Gloucester 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% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Cumberland 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% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Cumberland 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±$12k 46% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
| Cumberland and Gray 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 |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland and Sidney 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | #25 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 18 | RSU 51/MSAD 51 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town | Greely High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | — | 9.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.