Compare towns
Sumner vs Gray vs Buckfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sumner has the most affordable homes ($150k median).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Buckfield has the most kids (25.7% under 18).
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 | Sumner | Gray | Buckfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 845Lowest |
8,429Highest |
2,403 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
37.7±10.1Lowest 16% below ME |
| Sumner and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
25.7%±7.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Buckfield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$77,917±$41k 4% above ME |
| Gray and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$227,700±$18k 23% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$521±$33Lowest 54% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,167Lowest 29% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,860 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 42 minHighest 72% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±12.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Buckfield 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 10 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Buckfield Jr-Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
10.2Lowest |
| 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.