Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Wells vs Hampden
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).
New Gloucester has the youngest population (median age 40.1).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | New Gloucester | Wells | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766Lowest |
11,713Highest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and New Gloucester 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% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$108,797±$12k 46% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden 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 |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
| 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 21% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Wells High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 11.4Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| 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.