Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Wells 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
New Gloucester has the highest household income ($109k).
Wells has the most expensive homes ($485k median).
Hermon has the shortest commute (23 min average).
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 | Wells | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766Lowest |
11,713Highest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Hermon 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Hermon 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 |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray 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 |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Wells High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 11.4Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.