Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Gorham vs Pownal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Gloucester has the most affordable homes ($357k median).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
Pownal has the most people working from home (23.9%).
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 | New Gloucester | Gorham | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,766 |
18,300Highest |
1,696Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5 10% below ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
| Pownal and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
49%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$104,333±$14kLowest 40% above ME |
| Gorham and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$436,800±$32k 47% above ME |
| Gorham and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
| Gorham and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
$4,825 59% above ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 4.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Gorham 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #24 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gorham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.9 |
— |
| 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.