Compare towns
Bangor vs Gray vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+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 | Bangor | Gray | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
8,429Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wells 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 | #37 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
12.5 |
11.4Lowest |
| 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.