Compare towns
Sidney vs Eliot 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
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k median).
Belgrade has the most people working from home (20.4%).
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.
| Measure | Sidney | Eliot | Gray | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 4,790 |
7,146 |
8,429Highest |
3,351Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
| Eliot and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 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 | $83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
| Eliot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,859 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade and Eliot 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None 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 | 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.