Compare towns
Brooks vs Gray vs Windham vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most affordable homes ($197k median).
Gray has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Franklin has the oldest population (median age 46).
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 | Brooks | Gray | Windham | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
8,429 |
19,188Highest |
1,628 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
46±9.3Highest about the ME average |
| Franklin and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest 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+ | 17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Franklin and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
28.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$65,455±$16k 12% below 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 | $196,700±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$245,800±$59k 17% 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 | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$888±$306Lowest 22% below ME |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Lowest 31% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$2,231 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Brooks 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 03/MSAD 03 | 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 | 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.