Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Pownal vs Gray vs Auburn
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).
Pownal has the most people working from home (23.9%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Auburn has the most renters (40.9% rent).
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 | Pownal | Gray | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,766 |
1,696Lowest |
8,429 |
24,602Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.4±2.7 8% below 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% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±2.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2 ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Auburn 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% |
49%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Gray 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 |
$104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$66,647±$5kLowest 11% below 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 |
$436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$282,000±$12kLowest 5% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,041±$74 9% 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 | $3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,687 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
53.4%±7.4 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% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
22 minLowest 12% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.5%±2.7Lowest 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 | #110 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 05 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Auburn Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Edward Little High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5Lowest |
13.1Highest |
| 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.