Compare towns
Wells vs Casco vs Eliot 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%).
Casco has the most people working from home (26.6%).
Eliot has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Gray has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
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 | Casco | Eliot | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
3,696Lowest |
7,146 |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
52±3.3 16% above ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
| Wells and Casco 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% |
11.3%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 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% |
26.3%±7.8 ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3% ME: 36.2% |
32.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$69,313±$19kLowest 7% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Eliot and Gray 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 |
$355,500±$58kLowest 20% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Eliot and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,395±$184 22% above ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Eliot and Casco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215 6% above ME |
$3,085Lowest about the ME average |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
39.7%±35.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Eliot 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% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
26.6%±10Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Casco 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 61/MSAD 61 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Wells High School | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
— | — | 12.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.