Compare towns
Orono vs Gray vs Westbrook
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orono has the youngest population (median age 21.8).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Westbrook has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.6%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Orono | Gray | Westbrook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,902 |
8,429Lowest |
20,775Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+16.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
37.4±1 17% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.5%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.1%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
41.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
9%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$85,038±$7k 14% above ME |
| Gray and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,600±$40kLowest 8% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$383,300±$19kHighest 29% above ME |
| Westbrook and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,255±$112Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,392±$74Highest 22% above ME |
| Westbrook and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,005 32% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
46.1%±7.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
61.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 38% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±2.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Westbrook and Gray 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 | #26 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #115 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 26 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Westbrook Public Schools |
| High school in town | Orono High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Westbrook High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
12.5Highest |
12.0 |
| 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.