Compare towns
Gray vs Saugus vs Wakefield
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).
Saugus has the oldest population (median age 44.5).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Saugus | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
28,773Highest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
44.5±2.5Highest 14% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Saugus and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
15.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Wakefield and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
22%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Saugus 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$101,539±$3k 26% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14kHighest 66% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$603,400±$13k 81% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24kHighest 117% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average |
$2,241±$201Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,958±$102 39% above U.S. |
| Saugus and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,049 94% above U.S. |
$7,779Highest 149% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
53%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Saugus 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% |
6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 8% above U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±2.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | #194 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| 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.