Compare towns
Bar Harbor 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
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
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 | Bar Harbor | Gray | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Lowest |
8,429 |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Wells and Bar Harbor 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%±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+ | 25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells 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% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kLowest 3% above 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 | $538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Wells 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±$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 | $4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2Lowest |
12.5Highest |
11.4 |
| 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.