Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Mapleton vs Gray 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 highest household income ($109k).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Mapleton | Gray | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,766 |
1,884 |
8,429Highest |
1,696Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
| Pownal 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% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
49%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 |
$91,731±$25kLowest 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Pownal 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$981±$636 14% below ME |
| Gray and New Gloucester 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 |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal 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% |
8.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and New Gloucester 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | None 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 | 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.