Compare towns
Monroe vs Gray vs Brooks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Monroe has the most kids (23.7% under 18).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
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 | Monroe | Gray | Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,001Lowest |
8,429Highest |
1,208 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.5±7 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
| Brooks and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.7%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Monroe and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Monroe and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±4.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,300±$7k 9% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
| Gray and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $220,300±$57k 26% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$196,700±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,165±$152 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,116±$112Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,207 27% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,096Lowest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±47.8 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 28% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.8%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| 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.