Compare towns
Hampden vs Mapleton vs Unity 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 people working from home (21.3%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Mapleton | Unity | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,896 |
1,884 |
1,858Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below 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 | $301,300±$38k about the ME average |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$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 | $3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Unity 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Unity 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 |
| School district | RSU 22 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.4Lowest |
12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.