Compare towns
Gray vs Appleton vs Windham vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Gray | Appleton | Windham | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,360Lowest |
19,188Highest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| Windham and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% 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 | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #95 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 14 | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 12.1Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.