Compare towns
Wells vs Cumberland vs Eliot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wells has the oldest population (median age 53.6).
Cumberland has the highest household income ($174k).
Eliot has the most renters (20.2% rent).
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 | Cumberland | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
8,647 |
7,146Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+17.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.9±4Lowest 6% below ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
| Wells and Eliot 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% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
$498,900±$62k 68% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
$1,948±$471 71% above ME |
| Cumberland and Eliot 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 |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1% ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 12% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland 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 | #25 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 51/MSAD 51 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Greely High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
9.5Lowest |
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| 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.