Compare towns
Gray vs Naples vs Orrington vs Wells
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 youngest population (median age 43.4).
Naples has the most people working from home (26.7%).
Orrington has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Naples | Orrington | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
3,985 |
3,853Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.8±6.8 11% above ME |
49.5±3.3 10% above ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Wells and Naples are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| 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 ME: 22.4% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 22.4% |
23.8%±5.1 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3% ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| 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 27% above ME |
$78,188±$13kLowest 5% above ME |
$94,556±$10k 27% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Orrington 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 |
$340,100±$48k 15% above ME |
$309,000±$49kLowest 4% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,941±$625Highest 70% above ME |
$1,167±$135Lowest about the ME average |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Naples and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,784Lowest 8% below ME |
$2,823 7% below ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
59.9%±40.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
11.9%±20.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Naples 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% |
9.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.5% ME: 74.3% |
88.5% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
26.7%±11.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Naples 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 | #118 of 133 in ME | #41 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 61/MSAD 61 | Orrington Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Lake Region High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.7 |
— | 11.4Lowest |
| 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.