Compare towns
Gray vs Saugus vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Saugus has the most expensive homes ($603k median).
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 | Saugus | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
28,773Highest |
9,706 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
44.5±2.5 14% above U.S. |
44.7±4Highest 15% above U.S. |
| Topsham and Saugus are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
15.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
22%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Topsham and Saugus are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
50%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 18% above U.S. |
$101,539±$3kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S. |
| Saugus 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±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$603,400±$13kHighest 81% above U.S. |
$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$2,241±$201Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,355±$642Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,049Highest 94% above U.S. |
$4,259 37% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
53%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Saugus 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% |
6% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1962Lowest 18 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 8% above U.S. |
30 minHighest 12% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±2.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Topsham and Saugus 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 | #194 of 282 in MA | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saugus | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Saugus High | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
15.5Highest |
12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.