Compare towns
Dedham vs Ellsworth vs Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most expensive homes ($356k median).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Gardiner has the most people working from home (13.9%).
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 | Dedham | Ellsworth | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,657Highest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Dedham and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Gardiner and Dedham 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 | — | #63 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.