Compare towns
Bangor vs Windham vs Auburn
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Auburn has the most kids (21.4% under 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 | Bangor | Windham | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
19,188Lowest |
24,602 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±1.8Highest 7% below ME |
41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
| Windham and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±2.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Auburn and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$66,647±$5k 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
| Windham and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,687 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.4%±7.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Auburn and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
22 min 12% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #110 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 14 | Auburn Public Schools |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Windham High School | Edward Little High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
12.1Lowest |
13.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.