Compare towns
Gray vs Wayne vs Winthrop 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 expensive homes ($364k median).
Wayne has the oldest population (median age 55.6).
Winthrop has the most affordable homes ($295k 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 | Wayne | Winthrop | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,101Lowest |
6,191 |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Hermon 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5 ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Winthrop 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% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
40% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$86,470±$4kLowest 16% 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 |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
$294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Gray and Wayne 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 |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$892±$319Lowest 22% below 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 | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$3,506 15% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Winthrop 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% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 min 24% above ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Winthrop 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 | — | #12 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 | Winthrop Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Winthrop High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 11.7Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.