Compare towns
Gray vs Wayne 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 youngest population (median age 43.4).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Wayne | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,101Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Wayne and Wells 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% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest 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% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Gray 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 |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Gray and Wayne 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 |
$362,800±$29kLowest 22% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below 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 |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
28 minLowest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | — | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 | 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 |
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.