Compare towns
Gray vs Rome vs Smithfield 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).
Rome has the most homeowners (91.9%).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Rome | Smithfield | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,215 |
856Lowest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+13.7% ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48.3±9.2 8% above ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below 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%±6.3 ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Rome 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% |
20.4%±4.7 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% |
37.6% 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% |
4.8%±2.1 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 |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| Smithfield and Hermon 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 |
$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 |
$1,150±$56 about the ME average |
$1,109±$358Lowest about the ME average |
$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 |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
$2,866 6% below ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest 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% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
91.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 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 | — | — | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | — | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — | 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.