Compare towns
Gray vs Beals vs Windham vs Cumberland
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 most renters (17.6% rent).
Beals has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Windham has the youngest population (median age 41.8).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.5%).
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 | Beals | Windham | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
498Lowest |
19,188Highest |
8,647 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
41.9±4 6% below ME |
| Beals 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% |
16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Gray 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 |
$64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
| Cumberland 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 |
$2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland 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% |
10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | — | #95 of 133 in ME | #25 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Beals Public Schools | RSU 14 | RSU 51/MSAD 51 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School | Greely High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1 |
9.5Lowest |
| 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.