Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Gray vs Kittery vs Brewer
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%).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Kittery | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,429Lowest |
10,473Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kittery 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% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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 |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Gray and Kittery 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 |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Kittery Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Robert W Traip Academy | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
12.5 |
9.9Lowest |
14.0Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.