Compare towns
Hampden vs Mount Desert 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).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k 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 | Mount Desert | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,896 |
1,671Lowest |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Mount Desert 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest 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 | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% 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 |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Mount Desert 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
| 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.