Compare towns
Thorndike vs Gray vs Jackson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Thorndike has the most people working from home (44.7%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Jackson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
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 | Thorndike | Gray | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,403 |
8,429Highest |
567Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -13%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
37.7±5.8 16% below ME |
| Gray and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Thorndike and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
41.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,438±$14k 5% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$75,167±$19kLowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $205,600±$88kLowest 31% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$231,500±$16k 22% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $836±$317 27% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$629±$12Lowest 45% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,537Lowest 16% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,651 13% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
6.3%±60.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 46% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
35 min 41% above ME |
| Work from home | 44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.3%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Thorndike and Jackson 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 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | Mt View High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— |
| 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.