Compare towns
Exeter vs Gray vs Wells vs Stetson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Stetson has the most kids (22.4% under 18).
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 | Exeter | Gray | Wells | Stetson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,093Lowest |
8,429 |
11,713Highest |
1,151 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7 17% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
42.2±5.1Lowest 6% below ME |
| Wells and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
22.4%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Stetson and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.2%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
19.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,408±$12k 13% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$76,023±$28kLowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$205,700±$34k 31% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386 13% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$800±$377Lowest 30% below ME |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$1,962 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
73.7%±42Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Stetson and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1% ME: 74.3% |
87.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
28 minLowest 12% above ME |
32 min 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Wells 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | — |
| High school in town | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.