Compare towns
Hope vs Gray vs Union
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Union has the most affordable homes ($268k 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 | Hope | Gray | Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748Lowest |
8,429Highest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Hope and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Union and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$80,724±$9kLowest 8% above ME |
| Gray and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$267,600±$42kLowest 10% below ME |
| Hope and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,179±$452Lowest 4% above ME |
| Gray and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,276Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Hope and Union 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.