Compare towns
Belfast 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
Belfast has the oldest population (median age 60.6).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Belfast | Gray | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986Lowest |
8,429 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest 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+ | 39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±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 | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% 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 | $340,900±$34kLowest 15% above 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 | $962±$92Lowest 16% 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 | $4,145Highest 37% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 13% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Gray 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 | #84 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
12.5Highest |
12.1 |
| 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.