Compare towns
York vs Gray vs Mount Desert vs Freeport
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%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Freeport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
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 | Gray | Mount Desert | Freeport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 13,986Highest |
8,429 |
1,671Lowest |
8,802 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.5±5.2 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
| Mount Desert and York 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% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| York and Freeport 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
59.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Freeport 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 |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,326±$19k 44% above ME |
| York and Freeport 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 |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$508,400±$76k 71% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,439±$123 26% above ME |
| York and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,658 53% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$5,042Highest 66% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.5%±10.8 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport and York 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
| York and Freeport 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 | #13 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #4 of 133 in ME |
| School district | York Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | York High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Freeport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— | 12.2 |
| 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.