Compare towns
Gray vs Carmel 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%).
Carmel has the oldest population (median age 46.4).
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 | Gray | Carmel | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,941Lowest |
8,657Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Carmel 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% |
18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Carmel 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% |
16.5%±5Lowest 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% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest 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±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$82,188±$22k 10% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
| Gray and Carmel 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 |
$256,800±$37k 13% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Gray and Carmel 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 |
$2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Lowest 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%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | 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 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.