Compare towns
Readfield vs Gray vs Belgrade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Belgrade has the shortest commute (23 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 | Readfield | Gray | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,651Lowest |
8,429Highest |
3,351 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
| Readfield and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.8% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,392 12% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 20% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Belgrade 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 | #20 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 38 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.5Lowest |
12.5Highest |
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| 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.