Compare towns
Hampden vs Readfield vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampden has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Hampden | Readfield | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,161 |
2,651Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±6.3Lowest 8% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Readfield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±7.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.6%±4.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.9% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,228±$22kHighest 50% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $285,900±$33kLowest 4% below ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$375 about the ME average |
$1,125±$844Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,863Highest 27% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.2%±18Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 9% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 16.1%±6 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | RSU 38 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | — | Maranacook Community High Sch | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.5Lowest |
12.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.