Compare towns

Pownal vs Gray vs Durham

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 kids (24.2% under 18).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).

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.

MeasurePownalGrayDurham
People
Population
1,696Lowest
8,429Highest
4,262
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+6.2%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
+6.5%
ME: +2.6%
+8.4%Highest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
47.2±8.4Highest
5% above ME
43.4±4.5
3% below ME
42.6±5.9Lowest
5% 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%±4.7Highest
ME: 18.1%
19%±4Lowest
ME: 18.1%
19.7%±4.6
ME: 18.1%
Pownal and Durham 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%
16.6%±3.6Lowest
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+
49%Highest
ME: 36.2%
44.8%
ME: 36.2%
34.8%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.2%±1.9Lowest
ME: 5.8%
5.4%±2.2Highest
ME: 5.8%
4.9%±3.1
ME: 5.8%
Gray and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$104,333±$14kHighest
40% above ME
$95,236±$8kLowest
27% above ME
$99,181±$5k
33% above ME
Pownal and Durham 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
$322,200±$34kLowest
9% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$981±$636Lowest
14% below ME
$1,371±$89Highest
20% above ME
—
Gray and Pownal 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
$3,683Lowest
21% above ME
$3,781
25% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
78.9%±22.5Highest
ME: 48.4%
56.4%±24
ME: 48.4%
25%±40.9Lowest
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%Highest
ME: 10.7%
3.5%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
4.2%
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
89.4%
ME: 74.3%
82.4%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
95.4%Highest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1971Lowest
6 yrs older than ME
1983
6 yrs newer than ME
1986Highest
9 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
30 minHighest
22% above ME
29 min
16% above ME
28 minLowest
13% above ME
Work from home
23.9%±5.4Highest
ME: 15.9%
12.3%±3.5Lowest
ME: 15.9%
20.9%±5.6
ME: 15.9%
Pownal and Durham 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 #14 of 133 in ME
School district RSU 05 RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences RSU 05
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 Our Story 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.