Compare towns
Brewer vs Ellsworth vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Gray has the most people working from home (12.3%).
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 | Brewer | Ellsworth | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
8,657 |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
12.7 |
12.5Lowest |
| 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.