Compare towns
Smithfield vs Gorham vs Friendship
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
Friendship 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 | Smithfield | Gorham | Friendship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 856Lowest |
18,300Highest |
1,213 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
55.5±6.9 24% above ME |
| Smithfield and Friendship are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Friendship are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
37.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Friendship and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.8%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,917±$27k 44% above ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$75,625±$22kLowest about the ME average |
| Gorham and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,800±$15kLowest 18% below ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$275,000±$56k 7% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,109±$358Lowest about the ME average |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,370±$53 20% above ME |
| Gorham and Friendship are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,866 6% below ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$2,218Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±45.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
37.5%±42.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Smithfield and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9% ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 32% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
17.9%±7.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield and Gorham 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 | — | #24 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | — | Gorham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.9 |
— |
| 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.