Compare towns
Sumner vs Gray vs Garland
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 people working from home (18.5%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Garland has the shortest commute (26 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 | Sumner | Gray | Garland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 845 |
8,429Highest |
823Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
53.5±4.3 19% above ME |
| Sumner and Garland 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%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Garland 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%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.2%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner and Garland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
16.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.7%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,750±$19k 23% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$51,094±$12kLowest 32% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$205,400±$38k 31% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$794±$248Lowest 30% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,167 29% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,536Lowest 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
46.7%±46.1Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 42 minHighest 72% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Gray 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 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.