Compare towns
Palermo vs Gray vs Searsmont
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Palermo has the most people working from home (18.8%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Searsmont has the shortest commute (25 min average).
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 | Palermo | Gray | Searsmont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,473Lowest |
8,429Highest |
1,646 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±6.1Lowest 3% below ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.5±9.8Highest about the ME average |
| Searsmont and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.2%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Palermo and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.7% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsmont and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $89,095±$15k 19% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$87,000±$20kLowest 16% above ME |
| Gray and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $259,700±$54kLowest 12% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$284,000±$31k 4% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,235±$1k 8% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$940±$311Lowest 17% below ME |
| Gray and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,506Lowest 17% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,788 8% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.6%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Palermo and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 24% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 18.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Palermo and Searsmont 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 12 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 71 |
| 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.