Compare towns
Gray vs Unity vs Topsham 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%).
Unity has the most affordable homes ($207k median).
Topsham has the most people working from home (17.2%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Unity | Topsham | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,858Lowest |
9,706Highest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
| Topsham 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% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Topsham 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% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham and Hermon 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% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% 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±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Unity 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% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Topsham and Unity 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 | — | #66 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Ecology Learning Ctr | Mt Ararat High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
12.4 |
12.2Lowest |
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.