Compare towns
Gray vs Solon vs Hermon vs Raymond
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Solon has the most affordable homes ($184k median).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Solon | Hermon | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
963Lowest |
6,727 |
4,610 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.9±5.4 about the ME average |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Solon 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% |
17.2%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Raymond 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% |
23.9%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Solon and Raymond 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% |
25%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$69,205±$20kLowest 7% below ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% above ME |
| Hermon 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 23% above ME |
$183,600±$12kLowest 38% below ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$395,800±$42kHighest 33% above ME |
| Raymond and Gray 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 |
$915±$100Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$965±$397 15% below 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 |
$1,854Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$3,139 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Raymond 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% |
10.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
37 min 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #54 of 133 in ME | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hermon High School | None in town |
| 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.