Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Gray vs Berwick vs Poland
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 highest household income ($109k).
Gray has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Berwick has the most homeowners (87.4%).
Poland has the most affordable homes ($284k 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 | New Gloucester | Gray | Berwick | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,766Lowest |
8,429Highest |
8,175 |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.7±2.9 9% below ME |
44.2±9.4Highest about the ME average |
| Poland and Gray 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% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.7% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$94,771±$24k 27% above ME |
$85,557±$23kLowest 14% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
$283,600±$44kLowest 4% below ME |
| Berwick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,198±$128 5% above ME |
| Berwick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,417 13% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Berwick 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.