Compare towns
Gray vs Belgrade vs Hermon vs Windham
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).
Belgrade has the most homeowners (93.8%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Belgrade | Hermon | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
3,351Lowest |
6,727 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Belgrade and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Belgrade and Hermon 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% |
23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade 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% ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade 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 |
$88,338±$13kLowest 18% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% 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 |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% 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 |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% 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 |
$2,859 6% below ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade 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 | #71 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 18 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Hermon High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 14.6Highest |
12.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.