Compare towns
Hermon vs Gray vs Buxton vs Hampden
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%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Buxton has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Gray | Buxton | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,727Lowest |
8,429 |
8,512Highest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon and Gray 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% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 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 | $96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden and Buxton 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 |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hermon 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% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 8% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Hermon High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
12.5Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
| 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.