Compare towns
Hampden vs Gray vs Winthrop vs Berwick
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 shortest commute (23 min average).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
Berwick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.7%).
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 | Gray | Winthrop | Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,896 |
8,429Highest |
6,191Lowest |
8,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
| Winthrop and Gray 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% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Winthrop 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% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
40% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 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 | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$86,470±$4kLowest 16% above ME |
$94,771±$24k 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±$38k about the ME average |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
| Berwick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
| Berwick 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,506Lowest 15% above ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 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 | 7.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #12 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Winthrop Public Schools | RSU 60/MSAD 60 |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Winthrop High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.5 |
11.7Lowest |
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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.