Compare towns
Gray vs Scarborough vs Hampden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scarborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17%).
Hampden has the most kids (25.8% under 18).
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 | Scarborough | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
23,215Highest |
7,896Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+17%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48.8±2.7Highest 9% above ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Scarborough and Gray 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% |
16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden 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% |
24.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Scarborough 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
45.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$111,959±$13k 50% above ME |
| Scarborough and Hampden 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 |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$3,694 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Scarborough 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% |
4.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Scarborough and Hampden 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Scarborough Public Schools | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Scarborough High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
11.0Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.