Compare towns
Topsham vs Lisbon vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Topsham has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Lisbon has the most affordable homes ($258k median).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
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 | Topsham | Lisbon | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,706 |
9,750Highest |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
38.4±2.9Lowest 14% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Lisbon and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.2%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$77,819±$9kLowest 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
$258,300±$26kLowest 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$979±$286Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$3,324Lowest 9% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
43.4%±14.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Lisbon 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% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 17% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
18.1%±9.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Lisbon and Topsham 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 | #66 of 133 in ME | #60 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Lisbon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Mt Ararat High School | Lisbon High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Lowest |
15.8Highest |
12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.