Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Gorham 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).
Gorham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Gorham | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657 |
18,300Highest |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray 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% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Gorham 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 |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 10% above ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Gorham 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 | #24 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Gorham High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
12.9Highest |
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.