Compare towns
Hampden vs Mars Hill 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%).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
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 | Mars Hill | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896 |
1,398Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mars Hill 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% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill 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% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Lowest 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 | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$65,273±$9kLowest 13% 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 |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% 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 |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Mars Hill 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% |
9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Gray 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 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
8.0Lowest |
12.5 |
| 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.