Compare towns
Freeport vs Gray vs Mount Desert
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 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 | Freeport | Gray | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,802Highest |
8,429 |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Freeport 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% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest 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%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Freeport 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 |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% 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±$76k 71% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.2%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Freeport and Mount Desert 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 05 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Freeport High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— |
| 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.