Compare towns
Hampden vs Bar Harbor vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampden has the most kids (25.8% under 18).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Hampden | Bar Harbor | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896 |
5,244Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Hampden and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694 22% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | Mt Desert Island High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
8.2Lowest |
12.5 |
| 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.