Compare towns
Gray vs Penobscot
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%).
Penobscot has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Penobscot |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,154Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
| Penobscot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$63,194±$14kLowest 15% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$296,400±$58kLowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Penobscot 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 |
$1,141±$33Lowest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,852Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot 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% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Penobscot Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.