Compare towns
North Berwick vs New Gloucester vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
North Berwick has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
New Gloucester has the most affordable homes ($357k median).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+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 | North Berwick | New Gloucester | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,129Lowest |
5,766 |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±4.7 7% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 21.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and North Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.9%±5 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| North Berwick and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,875±$16k 36% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| New Gloucester and North Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,500±$33k 44% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,105±$116Lowest about the ME average |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,350±$297Highest 19% above ME |
| Wells and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,735Highest 23% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.2%±28.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| North Berwick and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 15%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wells and North Berwick 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 | #82 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Noble High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Highest |
— | 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.