Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Bath vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
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 | Ellsworth | Bath | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,815Highest |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
14.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
| 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.