Compare towns
Dresden vs Gray vs Otisfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dresden has the most affordable homes ($240k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Otisfield has the most people working from home (18.8%).
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 | Dresden | Gray | Otisfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,645Lowest |
8,429Highest |
1,951 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 55.1±7.9 23% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
56.8±4.8Highest 27% above ME |
| Otisfield and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±8Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.7%±1.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Dresden and Otisfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,844±$22kLowest about the ME average |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$84,271±$15k 13% above ME |
| Gray and Otisfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,100±$29kLowest 19% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$317,200±$35k 7% above ME |
| Gray and Otisfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,194±$502Lowest 5% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,300±$872 14% above ME |
| Gray and Otisfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,500Lowest 18% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,652 13% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13.2%±26Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
77.3%±92.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Otisfield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.2% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 35% above ME |
29 minLowest 16% above ME |
33 min 34% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
18.8%±6.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Otisfield 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 | RSU 02 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 17/MSAD 17 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| 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.