Compare towns
Hermon vs Appleton vs Gray vs Buxton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Gray has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
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 | Hermon | Appleton | Gray | Buxton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,727 |
1,360Lowest |
8,429 |
8,512Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
| Buxton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
| Buxton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 8% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Appleton 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hermon Public Schools | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Hermon High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
— |
| 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.