Compare towns
Gray vs Scarborough 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 most affordable homes ($364k median).
Scarborough has the highest household income ($134k).
Wells has the oldest population (median age 53.6).
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 | Scarborough | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
23,215Highest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
48.8±2.7 9% above ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Wells and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| 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 ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Scarborough 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 |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Scarborough 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% |
4.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
77.4%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 |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Scarborough 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Scarborough Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Scarborough High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.0Lowest |
11.4 |
| 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.