Compare towns
Damariscotta vs Gray vs Bremen
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%).
Bremen has the most people working from home (22.7%).
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 | Bremen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,192 |
8,429Highest |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.3±8.6 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
52.1±8.2Highest 16% above ME |
| Bremen and Damariscotta 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% |
18.6%±5.6Lowest 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%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.1%±9.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bremen and Damariscotta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
54.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Bremen 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,000±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
| Bremen and Gray 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 |
$425,300±$28kHighest 43% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,027±$88Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,806Highest 25% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,829Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.2%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Damariscotta and Gray 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% |
9.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 6% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
22 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.2%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bremen 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 | — |
| School district | Great Salt Bay CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.