Compare towns
Wells 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
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
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 | Wells | Bar Harbor | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
5,244Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
| Wells and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Mt Desert Island High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
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.