Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Carmel vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has the most renters (33.3% rent).
Carmel has the highest household income ($82k).
Surry has the most people working from home (11.4%).
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 | Carmel | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657Highest |
2,941 |
1,836Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
46.4±4.5 4% above ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
| Surry and Carmel 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% |
18.6%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Carmel 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% |
16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$82,188±$22kHighest 10% above ME |
$74,508±$12kLowest about the ME average |
| Carmel 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 |
$256,800±$37k 13% below ME |
$296,300±$36kHighest about the ME average |
| Surry and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195 11% below ME |
$1,276±$187Highest 12% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Carmel and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Highest 7% above ME |
$2,662 12% below ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Ellsworth 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% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.9% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Surry and Ellsworth 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 5 photos → | 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.