Compare towns
Gray vs Poland 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 highest household income ($95k).
Poland has the most people working from home (21.9%).
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 | Poland | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,954Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.9% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.2±9.4 about the ME average |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Wells and Poland 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% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Poland 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% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest 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 |
$85,557±$23kLowest 14% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$283,600±$44kLowest 4% below ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,198±$128Lowest 5% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% 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 | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland 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% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Lowest 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 |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
28 minLowest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Poland 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 | #81 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 16 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Poland Regional H S | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.2 |
11.4Lowest |
| 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.