Compare towns
Gray vs Sumner vs Hampden vs Berwick
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 renters (17.6% rent).
Sumner has the most affordable homes ($150k median).
Hampden has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Berwick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.7%).
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 | Sumner | Hampden | Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
845Lowest |
7,896 |
8,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+9.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
| Sumner 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% |
17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Berwick 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% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$94,771±$24k 27% above ME |
| Hampden 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 |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
| Berwick 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 |
— | $1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
| Berwick and Gray 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 |
$2,167Lowest 29% below ME |
$3,694 22% above ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner 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% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Berwick 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 | — | #6 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 10 | RSU 22 | RSU 60/MSAD 60 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hampden Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
— |
| 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.