Compare towns
Gray vs Mount Desert vs Ogunquit vs South Berwick
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).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
South Berwick has the most kids (26.7% 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 | South Berwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,671 |
1,379Lowest |
7,670 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%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 |
39±2.5Lowest 13% 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% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick 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% |
15.8%±3Lowest 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% |
41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 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 |
$99,572±$13k 33% above ME |
| Ogunquit and South Berwick 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±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$428,300±$26k 44% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
— | $1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
$4,956Highest 63% 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% |
53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick 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% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1982 5 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% |
17.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — | #58 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — | Marshwood High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | — | 13.0Highest |
| 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.