Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Gray vs Ogunquit vs Alfred
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoin has the most affordable homes ($293k median).
Gray has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Alfred has the most renters (17.9% rent).
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 | Bowdoin | Gray | Ogunquit | Alfred |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,188 |
8,429Highest |
1,379Lowest |
3,125 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
44.9±5.3 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±6.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Bowdoin and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±5.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.4% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
63.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$82,321±$18kLowest 10% 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 | $292,800±$71kLowest about the ME average |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$342,300±$38k 15% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— | $1,035±$432Lowest 9% below ME |
| Gray and Alfred are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$3,543 17% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
82.2%±29.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Alfred and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.6%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #28 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #74 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 57/MSAD 57 |
| 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 | 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.