Compare towns
Deer Isle vs Gray vs Surry
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 most people working from home (22%).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Surry has the most affordable homes ($296k 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 | Gray | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,470 |
8,429Highest |
1,836Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.1% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
52.4±5.6 17% above ME |
| Deer Isle and Surry 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% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Deer Isle 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% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest 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 |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
| Gray and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $308,300±$42k 4% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$296,300±$36kLowest about the ME average |
| 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±$89 20% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below 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 |
$1,903 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Gray 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% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 17% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±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 | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— |
| 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.