Compare towns
Gray vs Buxton vs Ellsworth
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 most people working from home (12.3%).
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k 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 | Gray | Buxton | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
8,512 |
8,657Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray 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% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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 |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
| Buxton 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±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Buxton 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 | #104 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.