Compare towns
Gray vs Mount Desert vs Freeport
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 affordable homes ($364k median).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Mount Desert | Freeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,671Lowest |
8,802Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Freeport 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
59.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Freeport 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 |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,326±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
| Freeport 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±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$508,400±$76k 71% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Freeport 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 |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,439±$123Highest 26% above ME |
| Freeport and Gray 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 |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport 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% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Freeport and Mount Desert 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 | — | #4 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Freeport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.