What stands out worked out from the figures below

Deer Isle has the most people working from home (22%).

Gray has the highest household income ($95k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Deer Isle	Gray
People
Population	2,470Lowest	8,429Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.1%Highest ME: +2.6%	+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME	43.4±4.5Lowest 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%	19%±4Highest ME: 18.1%
	Gray and Deer Isle 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%	19.3%±4Lowest 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%	44.8%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8%	5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8%
	Gray and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,284±$15kLowest 17% below ME	$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$308,300±$42kLowest 4% above ME	$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME
	Gray and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,909±$927Highest 68% above ME	$1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME
	Deer Isle and Gray 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	$3,683Highest 21% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4%	56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4%
	Gray and Deer Isle 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%	3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.8%Highest ME: 74.3%	82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME	1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 17% below ME	29 minHighest 16% above ME
Work from home	22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9%	12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Deer Isle and Gray 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	Deer Isle-Stonington CSD	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences
High school in town	Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch	Gray-New Gloucester High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.0Lowest	12.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.