Compare towns
Gray vs Phillips vs Strong 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 expensive homes ($364k median).
Phillips has the oldest population (median age 49.7).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Phillips | Strong | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,094Lowest |
1,249 |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-12.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
49.7±3.7Highest 11% above ME |
47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Phillips and Strong 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% |
20.7%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Phillips 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% |
21.3%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Strong and Phillips 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% |
20.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest 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 |
$45,385±$12kLowest 39% below ME |
$47,557±$10k 36% below 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 |
$190,800±$18k 36% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% 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 |
$483±$377Lowest 58% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below 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 |
$2,582 15% below ME |
$1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.4%±33 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Phillips 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% |
17.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
83.3% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
16.8%±7 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Phillips 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 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | 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.