Compare towns
Gray vs Biddeford vs New Gloucester 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 population (median age 43.4).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Biddeford | New Gloucester | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
22,498Highest |
5,766Lowest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
40.1±5.5 10% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Biddeford 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% |
32.1% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Windham 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 |
$396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,150±$249Lowest about the ME average |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Gray and Biddeford 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 |
$4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Biddeford 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% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Biddeford 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 | #111 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Biddeford High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.1Highest |
— | 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.