Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs New Gloucester
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 renters (17.6% rent).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 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 | Wells | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
11,713Highest |
5,766Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Gray 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 |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Wells and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| 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 |
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| 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.