Compare towns
Wells vs Hermon vs North Berwick 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 the oldest population (median age 53.6).
Hermon has the shortest commute (23 min average).
North Berwick has the highest household income ($102k).
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 | Hermon | North Berwick | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
6,727 |
5,129Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
41.6±4.7 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and North Berwick 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% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
20.9%±5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
29%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon 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 |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$101,875±$16kHighest 36% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| North Berwick and Hermon 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 |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$428,500±$33k 44% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,105±$116Lowest about the ME average |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray 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 |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,735Highest 23% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66.2%±28.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
| North Berwick and Gray 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Wells and North Berwick 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | #82 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Hermon High School | Noble High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
14.6Highest |
12.0 |
12.5 |
| 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.