Compare towns
Hampden vs Brunswick 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 (25.8% under 18).
Brunswick has the most renters (28.8% rent).
Gray has the oldest population (median age 43.4).
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 | Brunswick | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896Lowest |
22,336Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9 8% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest 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+ | 17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$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 | $301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Brunswick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Brunswick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694 22% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | Brunswick High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
10.9Lowest |
12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.