Compare towns
Gorham vs Mount Desert vs Saco vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gorham has the highest household income ($112k).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Saco has the most renters (27.2% rent).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k 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 | Gorham | Mount Desert | Saco | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 18,300 |
1,671Lowest |
20,819Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.3% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $460,900±$26k 55% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Gorham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,807 58% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.5% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 10% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Gorham 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 | #24 of 133 in ME | — | #38 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Gorham Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | Saco Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Gorham High School | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.9Highest |
— | — | 12.5Lowest |
| 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.