Compare towns
Gray vs Surry vs Whitefield
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 highest household income ($95k).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Whitefield has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Surry | Whitefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,836Lowest |
2,157 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
51.9±5.2 16% above ME |
| Surry and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.6%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Whitefield 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% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
32.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
$73,875±$10kLowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
$242,300±$24kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$969±$129 15% below ME |
$895±$126Lowest 21% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,366 22% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±22.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry 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% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
7.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
91.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.5%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Whitefield 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Surry Public Schools | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.