Compare towns
York vs Eliot vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
York has the most people working from home (26%).
Eliot has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | York | Eliot | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,986Highest |
7,146Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.5±5.2Lowest 10% above ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% 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 | 21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| York and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.9%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and York are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and York are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| York and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
$498,900±$62k 68% above ME |
$485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,490±$336 31% above ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
| Eliot and York are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,658Highest 53% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| York and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.5% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #13 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | York Public Schools | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | York High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.