Compare towns
Brunswick vs Freeport vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brunswick has the most renters (28.8% rent).
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
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 | Brunswick | Freeport | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
8,802 |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
48.8±4.3Highest 9% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Freeport and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.9% ME: 36.2% |
59.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$508,400±$76kHighest 71% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,439±$123 26% above ME |
$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
| Brunswick and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,756 57% above ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7% ME: 10.7% |
8.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 5% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Freeport and Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #4 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 05 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | Freeport High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
12.2 |
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.