Compare towns
Carmel vs Gray vs Ogunquit vs Chelsea
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Chelsea has the most affordable homes ($182k median).
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 | Carmel | Gray | Ogunquit | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,941 |
8,429Highest |
1,379Lowest |
2,823 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
42.2±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chelsea and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
63.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±1.7 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 | $82,188±$22kLowest 10% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$85,471±$10k 14% 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 | $256,800±$37k 13% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$182,300±$37kLowest 39% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187Lowest 12% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
— | $1,373±$90Highest 21% above ME |
| Chelsea and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,662 12% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$2,313Lowest 24% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
15%±19.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
36 minHighest 48% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
6%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #93 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 12 |
| 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 Our Story | 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.