What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).

Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Gray	Rochester
People
Population	8,429Lowest	33,144Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S.	43±1.8Lowest 11% above U.S.
	Gray and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19%±4Highest U.S.: 22%	18.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Gray and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rochester 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%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	27.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.3%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gray and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S.	$80,836±$3kLowest about the U.S. average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$363,700±$20kHighest 9% above U.S.	$279,100±$10kLowest 16% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average	$1,369±$72Lowest 3% below U.S.
	Gray and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S.	$5,334Highest 71% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1%	46.3%±7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gray and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	66%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest 8% above U.S.	26 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	12.3%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.8%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Gray and Rochester 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	#98 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences	Rochester School District
High school in town	Gray-New Gloucester High School	Spaulding High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Lowest	13.2Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.