Compare towns
Gray vs Bath vs Old Orchard Beach
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Old Orchard Beach has the oldest population (median age 58).
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 | Gray | Bath | Old Orchard Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
8,815 |
9,244Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
58±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
6.5%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
33.5%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Old Orchard Beach and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
7%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Old Orchard Beach and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$60,050±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$366,600±$38kHighest 24% above ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,246±$182 9% above ME |
| Gray and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,426Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.7%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4% ME: 10.7% |
14.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
22 minLowest 11% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Old Orchard Beach 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #67 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 23 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Morse High School | Old Orchard Beach High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.8Highest |
7.6Lowest |
| 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.