Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Freeport 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 the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Freeport has the most people working from home (21.2%).
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 | Freeport | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,802Highest |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
48.8±4.3Highest 9% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Freeport and Gray 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% |
26.7%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Freeport 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% |
59.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray 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 |
$508,400±$76kHighest 71% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Freeport 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 | #4 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 05 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Freeport High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
12.2Lowest |
12.5 |
| 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.