Compare towns
Damariscotta vs Gray vs Blue Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Damariscotta has the most renters (30% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Blue Hill has the most people working from home (21%).
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 | Damariscotta | Gray | Blue Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,192Lowest |
8,429Highest |
2,813 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.3±8.6Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
48.6±8.2 8% above ME |
| Damariscotta and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18.3%±7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Damariscotta and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31.2%±4.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.6%±10.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Damariscotta and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.9% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Blue Hill and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,423±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$80,377±$17k 8% above ME |
| Gray and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,500±$42kLowest 23% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$399,500±$82kHighest 35% above ME |
| Blue Hill and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,027±$88Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,038±$638 9% below ME |
| Gray and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,806Highest 25% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,907Lowest 4% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.2%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
93.6%±27.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Blue Hill and Damariscotta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 6% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.2%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Blue Hill and Damariscotta 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #29 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Great Salt Bay CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Blue Hill Public Schools |
| 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 History | 6 photos → | 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.