Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Wells vs New Gloucester
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 renters (17.6% rent).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
New Gloucester has the youngest population (median age 40.1).
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 | Hampden | Wells | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
7,896 |
11,713Highest |
5,766Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and New Gloucester 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% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
| Hampden and New Gloucester 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 |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Wells 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | Wells High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.8Highest |
11.4Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.