Compare towns
Hampden vs Orrington 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%).
Orrington has the oldest population (median age 49.5).
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 | Orrington | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896 |
3,853Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
49.5±3.3Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Orrington 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% |
16.4%±4.8Lowest 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% |
23.8%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Orrington 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% |
44.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest 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 | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$94,556±$10kLowest 27% 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 | $301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$309,000±$49k 4% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Gray and Orrington 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 |
$1,167±$135Lowest 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 | $3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$2,823Lowest 7% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
11.9%±20.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7% ME: 74.3% |
88.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5.3Lowest 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 | #41 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | Orrington Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
| 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.