Compare towns
Topsham 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
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
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 | Topsham | Bar Harbor | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,706Highest |
5,244Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.7±4 about the ME average |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $360,800±$20kLowest 22% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,259 40% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±12.9Lowest 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 | 6.4% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Topsham 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 | #66 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Mt Ararat High School | Mt Desert Island High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
8.2Lowest |
12.5Highest |
| 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.