Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Camden vs Gray vs Ogunquit
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Camden has the most renters (26.5% rent).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
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 | Bar Harbor | Camden | Gray | Ogunquit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,244 |
5,242 |
8,429Highest |
1,379Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
52.2±6.5 17% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Camden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Camden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
38%±6.5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Camden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
62.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$82,344±$15k 10% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $538,400±$94k 82% above ME |
$520,600±$70k 76% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,269±$354 11% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— |
| Gray and Camden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,279 41% above ME |
$5,832Highest 92% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
39.9%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5% ME: 74.3% |
73.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
22 min 11% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±8.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #2 of 133 in ME | #11 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 28/MSAD 28 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2Lowest |
— | 12.5Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.