Compare towns
Beals vs Gray vs Brooklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Brooklin has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
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 | Beals | Gray | Brooklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
8,429Highest |
869 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.2±3.7Highest 10% above ME |
| Brooklin and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
41.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.2%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooklin and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$68,750±$8k 8% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$339,400±$90k 14% above ME |
| Gray and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,236±$137 9% above ME |
| Gray and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,792Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
29.5%±25 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 4% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.5%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Brooklin 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Brooklin Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.