Compare towns
Gray vs Phippsburg vs Topsham
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 youngest population (median age 43.4).
Phippsburg has the oldest population (median age 54.3).
Topsham has the most people working from home (17.2%).
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 | Phippsburg | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,238Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.3±6.3Highest 21% above ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Phippsburg and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Gray 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% |
34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
37.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$91,028±$10kLowest 22% above ME |
| Phippsburg 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 |
$335,800±$47kLowest 13% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Topsham 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% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Topsham 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 | — | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.