Compare towns
Gray vs Salisbury vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Salisbury has the most renters (28.8% rent).
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 | Salisbury | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
9,281 |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
51.3±3.5 32% above U.S. |
53.6±3.8Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Wells and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
| 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
31%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Wells and Salisbury 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
43.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Salisbury 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 18% above U.S. |
$93,361±$6k 16% above U.S. |
$88,024±$11kLowest 9% above U.S. |
| Gray and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$478,700±$27k 44% above U.S. |
$485,300±$23kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Wells and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,691±$411Highest 20% above U.S. |
$1,350±$297Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Salisbury and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 18% above U.S. |
$4,604Highest 48% above U.S. |
$3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±11.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Salisbury 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
5% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980Lowest same as U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
28 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±4.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Salisbury 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 | #240 of 282 in MA | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Triton | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.