Compare towns
Belfast vs Gray vs Harpswell
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belfast has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Harpswell has the most people working from home (20.7%).
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 | Belfast | Gray | Harpswell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986 |
8,429Highest |
5,046Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1 35% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
62±1.5Highest 38% above ME |
| Harpswell and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
8.8%±2.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
38.6%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Belfast and Harpswell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
52.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Harpswell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$96,250±$15kHighest 29% above ME |
| Harpswell and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34kLowest 15% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$609,700±$60kHighest 106% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,348±$53 18% above ME |
| Gray and Harpswell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145Highest 37% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,141Lowest 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.9%±5.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
83.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 13% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
20.7%±6.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Harpswell 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 | #84 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— |
| 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.