Compare towns
Gray vs Meredith vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | Meredith | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,758Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
53.6±3.8 38% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
31%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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 18% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$88,024±$11k 9% above U.S. |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$485,300±$23kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Wells and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,350±$297 4% below U.S. |
| 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 18% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±4.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith 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 | #62 of 120 in NH | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Inter-Lakes High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.1Lowest |
11.4 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.