Compare towns
Bow vs Gray vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Windham has the shortest commute (26 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 | Bow | Gray | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Lowest |
8,429 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
41.8±1.8 7% above U.S. |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gray and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14k 34% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22k 17% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Bow and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$3,938 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | #10 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bow School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.5 |
12.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.