Compare towns
Hermon vs Gray vs Buxton vs South Berwick
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 homeowners (82.4%).
Buxton has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
South Berwick has the most people working from home (17.6%).
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 | South Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,727Lowest |
8,429 |
8,512Highest |
7,670 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%Lowest 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 |
39±2.5Lowest 13% 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% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick 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% |
15.8%±3Lowest 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.8% 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% |
4.2%±1.9Lowest 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 |
$95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$99,572±$13k 33% above ME |
| Buxton and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$428,300±$26kHighest 44% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266 42% above ME |
$1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
| South Berwick and Buxton 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 |
$4,956Highest 63% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
78.3% 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 |
27 min 9% above 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% |
17.6%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| South Berwick 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 | #58 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Hermon High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Marshwood High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— | 13.0 |
| 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.