Compare towns
Andover vs Gray vs Windham vs Alexander
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Andover has the most people working from home (23.2%).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Alexander has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Andover | Gray | Windham | Alexander |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 679 |
8,429 |
19,188Highest |
553Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 51.8±3.9 16% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
52.8±4.2Highest 18% above ME |
| Alexander and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 8.8%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±6.6 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+ | 27.1%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±4.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Andover and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.4% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
24.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±4.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Alexander are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $49,922±$9kLowest 33% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$93,750±$10k 25% 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 | $168,300±$22kLowest 43% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$193,800±$54k 35% below ME |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 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 | $1,513Lowest 50% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$1,781 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Andover and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
95.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 21% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
18 minLowest 26% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.2%±15.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
7.7%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Andover and Windham 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 | Andover Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 | Alexander Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
12.1Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.