Compare towns
Gray vs Saco vs Ellsworth 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
Saco has the most people working from home (19%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Saco | Ellsworth | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
20,819Highest |
8,657 |
5,766Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Saco and Gray 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% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 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% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray 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% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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 |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Gray 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 |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Saco and New Gloucester 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Ellsworth High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
— | 12.7Highest |
— |
| 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.