Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Gray vs Ogunquit vs Gardiner
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 shortest commute (25 min average).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
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 | Ogunquit | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657Highest |
8,429 |
1,379Lowest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 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% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
63.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest 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±$18k 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
| Ogunquit 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±$22k 18% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— | $1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Gray and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262 7% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 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% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #63 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
12.5 |
— | 11.8Lowest |
| 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.