Compare towns
Gray vs Rome vs Smithfield
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).
Rome has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.7%).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Rome | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,215 |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+13.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
48.3±9.2 8% above ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
| Smithfield and Rome 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% |
21.4%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Rome 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% |
24.7%±9.1 ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Smithfield and Rome 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% |
39.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±4.8 ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Rome 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 |
$77,639±$25kLowest 4% above ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
| Smithfield 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 |
$329,300±$36k 11% above ME |
$242,800±$15kLowest 18% below ME |
| Gray and Rome 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 |
$1,150±$56 about the ME average |
$1,109±$358Lowest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
$2,866 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Rome 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% |
10.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 16% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield 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 | — | — |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.