Compare towns
Gray vs Waterbury vs Williston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
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 | Waterbury | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,405Lowest |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
43.2±3.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
| Williston and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Waterbury and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Williston and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Williston and Gray 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 18% above U.S. |
$103,917±$23k 29% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12kHighest 32% above U.S. |
| Williston and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$447,200±$40k 34% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40kHighest 43% above U.S. |
| Williston and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,027±$535Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,435Highest 106% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.8%±21.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 8% above U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±6.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Waterbury and Williston 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 | #20 of 70 in VT | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| 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 Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.