Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Gray vs Brunswick
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).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Brunswick has the most people working from home (19.8%).
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 | Ellsworth | Gray | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,429Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% 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%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Brunswick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Brunswick 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Lowest 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #63 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
12.5 |
10.9Lowest |
| 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.