Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs South Berwick vs Hampden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
South Berwick has the most renters (21.7% rent).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | South Berwick | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
11,713Highest |
7,670Lowest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick and Hampden 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% |
15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$99,572±$13k 33% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden and South Berwick 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 |
$428,300±$26k 44% above ME |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$3,694 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | #58 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | Marshwood High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
11.4Lowest |
13.0 |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.