Compare towns
Hermon vs Mapleton vs Gray vs Bangor
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%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Gray has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
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 | Mapleton | Gray | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,727 |
1,884Lowest |
8,429 |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon and Bangor 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% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
| Hermon and Gray 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$219,600±$10k 26% below ME |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,055±$43 7% below ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,761 9% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,076 about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bangor 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.2% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 8% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Hermon High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
13.3 |
| 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.