Compare towns
Alton vs Gray vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Alton has the most affordable homes ($180k median).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
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 | Alton | Gray | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 819Lowest |
8,429 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.1±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,955±$9kLowest 16% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $179,500±$25kLowest 39% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $866±$48Lowest 24% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,476Lowest 51% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 76.3%±88.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Alton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 24.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.3%±7.3 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Alton 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 34 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
12.1Lowest |
| 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.