Compare towns
Gray vs Boothbay vs Freeport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
Freeport has the most people working from home (21.2%).
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 | Boothbay | Freeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
3,102Lowest |
8,802Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
| Boothbay and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest 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+ | 19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Boothbay and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.9% ME: 36.2% |
59.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Boothbay and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% 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 | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$342,100±$43kLowest 15% above ME |
$508,400±$76kHighest 71% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,147±$121Lowest about the ME average |
$1,439±$123Highest 26% 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 | $3,683 21% above ME |
$2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest 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 | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.4% ME: 74.3% |
77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Highest 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #4 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Freeport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.