Compare towns
Gray vs South Eliot 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 homeowners (82.4%).
South Eliot has the most expensive homes ($476k median).
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 | South Eliot | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
4,203Lowest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
55.5±8Highest 24% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| South Eliot 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% |
15.2%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray 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% |
32.8%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
49.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±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±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$99,299±$9kHighest 33% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| South Eliot 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$475,600±$52kHighest 60% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$2,155±$292Highest 89% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$4,442Highest 46% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
64.3%±29.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| South Eliot and Gray 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% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±4.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| South Eliot 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 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.