Compare towns
Wells vs Gray vs Topsham vs Winthrop
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%).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Topsham has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
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 | Gray | Topsham | Winthrop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
8,429 |
9,706 |
6,191Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Topsham 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% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
40%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$86,470±$4kLowest 16% 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 | $485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
$294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$3,506 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Winthrop 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME | #12 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Winthrop Public Schools |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Mt Ararat High School | Winthrop High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
12.5Highest |
12.2 |
11.7 |
| 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.