Compare towns
Gray vs Chelsea
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%).
Chelsea has the most affordable homes ($182k 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 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
2,823Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.2±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Gray and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chelsea 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% |
22.6%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chelsea 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% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Chelsea 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 |
$85,471±$10kLowest 14% above ME |
| Gray and Chelsea 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 |
$182,300±$37kLowest 39% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest 20% above ME |
$1,373±$90Highest 21% above ME |
| Chelsea 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 |
$2,313Lowest 24% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
15%±19.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Chelsea 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% |
8.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 16% above ME |
36 minHighest 48% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
6%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Chelsea 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 | #93 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.