Compare towns
Levant vs Gray vs Mechanic Falls
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Levant has the most affordable homes ($269k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Mechanic Falls has the most kids (24.1% under 18).
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 | Levant | Gray | Mechanic Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,069Lowest |
8,429Highest |
3,134 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.7±2.2Lowest 11% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
39.8±4.7 11% below ME |
| Gray and Mechanic Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.1%±7.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mechanic Falls and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.4%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,071±$22k 15% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$69,914±$12kLowest 6% below ME |
| Gray and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,500±$27kLowest 9% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$270,900±$44k 9% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,370±$120 20% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,076±$208Lowest 6% below ME |
| Gray and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,993 about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.7%±14 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±20.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Levant are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 5% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.9%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Mechanic Falls 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 | #124 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #122 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 16 |
| 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.