What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Wells	Gray
People
Population	11,713Highest	8,429Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+18%Highest ME: +2.6%	+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME	43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME
Kids under 18	18%±3.4Lowest 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%	19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2%	44.8%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±1.5Lowest 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±$11kLowest 18% 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±$23kHighest 64% above ME	$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME	$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	$3,683Highest 21% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	42.1%±19.6Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7%	3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.1%Highest ME: 74.3%	82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME	1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 12% above ME	29 minHighest 16% above ME
Work from home	17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9%	12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Wells 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	#22 of 133 in ME	#10 of 133 in ME
School district	Wells-Ogunquit CSD	RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences
High school in town	Wells High School	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

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.