Compare towns
Gray vs Saco vs Waterville vs Raymond
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 highest household income ($95k).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).
Raymond has the most people working from home (32.3%).
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 | Saco | Waterville | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
20,819Highest |
17,077 |
4,610Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Saco 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% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Raymond and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Raymond 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% ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$395,800±$42k 33% above ME |
| Saco and Raymond 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 |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
$965±$397Lowest 15% below ME |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,139 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Waterville 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Raymond and Saco 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 12.8Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.