Compare towns
Cape Elizabeth vs Gray vs Ogunquit vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cape Elizabeth has the most kids (26% under 18).
Gray has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Topsham has the most renters (21.1% 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 | Cape Elizabeth | Gray | Ogunquit | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,606 |
8,429 |
1,379Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.4±3.3 6% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 26%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Cape Elizabeth and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.7%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 74.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
50% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $145,821±$8kHighest 95% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56k 53% above ME |
$91,028±$10kLowest 22% above ME |
| Cape Elizabeth and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,600±$53k 147% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$360,800±$20kLowest 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,185±$275Highest 92% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
— | $1,355±$642Lowest 19% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,637Highest 152% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.2%±19.9 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 13% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 31.9%±6.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Ogunquit and Cape Elizabeth 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 | #1 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Cape Elizabeth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Cape Elizabeth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— | 12.2 |
| 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.