Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs Mount Desert
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).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Wells | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
11,713Highest |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert 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% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Mount Desert 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% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% 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 |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest 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% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert 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 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
— |
| 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.