Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs Hermon 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Wells has the most expensive homes ($485k median).
Hermon has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Wells | Hermon | Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
11,713Highest |
6,727Lowest |
8,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Berwick and Hermon 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$94,771±$24k 27% 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$369,100±$19k 24% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
| Berwick and Hermon 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 |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Berwick 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 60/MSAD 60 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
11.4Lowest |
14.6Highest |
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| 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.