Compare towns
Pownal vs Gray vs Dedham vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pownal has the most expensive homes ($437k median).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k 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 | Pownal | Gray | Dedham | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,696 |
8,429Highest |
1,656Lowest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4 5% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
| Dedham and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Dedham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,212Highest 72% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,942 30% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 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 | 5.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Pownal 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 | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
| 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.