Compare towns
Gray vs Mount Desert vs Ogunquit 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).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 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 | Mount Desert | Ogunquit | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,671 |
1,379Lowest |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Ogunquit and Mount Desert 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%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Gray 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% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ogunquit 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 |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
| Ogunquit 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 |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
— | $1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| Gray and Mount Desert 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 |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — | — |
| 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.