Compare towns
Lisbon vs Gray vs Bowdoin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lisbon has the most people working from home (18.1%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Bowdoin has the most homeowners (84.7%).
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 | Lisbon | Gray | Bowdoin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,750Highest |
8,429 |
3,188Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 38.4±2.9Lowest 14% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
| Bowdoin and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Lisbon and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.2%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,819±$9kLowest 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $258,300±$26kLowest 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$292,800±$71k about the ME average |
| Gray and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $979±$286Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,324Lowest 9% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,375 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.4%±14.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Lisbon 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% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 17% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.1%±9.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Lisbon 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 | #60 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #28 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Lisbon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Lisbon High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.