Compare towns
Cumberland vs Eliot vs Ogunquit vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cumberland has the highest household income ($174k).
Eliot has the most renters (20.2% rent).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Wells has the most affordable homes ($485k 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 | Cumberland | Eliot | Ogunquit | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,647 |
7,146 |
1,379Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.9±4Lowest 6% below ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
$114,259±$56k 53% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Cumberland and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $616,800±$42k 108% above ME |
$498,900±$62k 68% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
$1,948±$471 71% above ME |
— | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
| Cumberland and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,116Highest 134% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.2% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 25.3%±7 ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Ogunquit and Cumberland 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 | #25 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | — | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 51/MSAD 51 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | — | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Greely High School | None in town | — | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.5Lowest |
— | — | 11.4Highest |
| 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.