Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Gray vs Freeport
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).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Gray | Freeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Lowest |
8,429 |
8,802Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Freeport and Gray 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Freeport and Bar Harbor 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% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
59.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
| Freeport 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±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$508,400±$76k 71% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray 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 |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport and Gray 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Freeport 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 | #2 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #4 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Freeport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2Lowest |
12.5Highest |
12.2 |
| 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.