Compare towns
Deer Isle vs Gorham vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Deer Isle has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Gorham has the most expensive homes ($461k 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 | Deer Isle | Gorham | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,470Lowest |
18,300Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.1% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Deer Isle and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Deer Isle and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,284±$15kLowest 17% below ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $308,300±$42kLowest 4% above ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,909±$927Highest 68% above ME |
$1,680±$355 47% above ME |
$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
| Deer Isle and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,890Lowest 38% below ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 17% below ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Deer Isle and Gorham 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 | — | #24 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Deer Isle-Stonington CSD | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch | Gorham High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0Lowest |
12.9Highest |
12.5 |
| 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.