Compare towns
Gardiner vs Dedham vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the most people working from home (13.9%).
Dedham has the most expensive homes ($356k median).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Gardiner | Dedham | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088 |
1,656Lowest |
8,657Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Dedham and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gardiner and Dedham 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Dedham Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
— | 12.7Highest |
| 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.