Compare towns
Freeport vs Ellsworth vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Freeport has the most people working from home (21.2%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Freeport | Ellsworth | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,802Highest |
8,657 |
8,429Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±4.3Highest 9% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.7%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Freeport and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest 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 | $107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $508,400±$76kHighest 71% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,042Highest 66% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62%±18.9 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.5% ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.6% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.2%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Freeport 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 | #4 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Freeport High School | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Lowest |
12.7Highest |
12.5 |
| 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.