Compare towns
Durham vs Lewiston vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Durham has the most homeowners (95.4%).
Lewiston has the most renters (48.8% rent).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($389k median).
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 | Durham | Lewiston | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,262Lowest |
38,324Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.6±5.9Highest 5% below ME |
37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Durham and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.7%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Lewiston and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±1.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Lewiston and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.8% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3.1 ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,181±$5k 33% above ME |
$55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $322,200±$34k 9% above ME |
$235,100±$8kLowest 21% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $986±$44Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
| Windham and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,781 25% above ME |
$2,899Lowest 5% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25%±40.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Lewiston and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.2% ME: 10.7% |
20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Durham 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 | #14 of 133 in ME | #132 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | None in town | Lewiston High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7Highest |
12.1Lowest |
| 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.