Compare towns
Gray vs Bristol 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 most affordable homes ($364k median).
Bristol has the oldest population (median age 61).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
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 | Bristol | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,917Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
61±3.2Highest 36% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Gray 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% |
42.8%±8.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
52.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$100,750±$19k 35% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$406,400±$54kHighest 37% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Bristol 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 |
$1,051±$106Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$2,668Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
23.4%±19.2Lowest 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% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1968Lowest 9 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
25%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Bristol 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 | #16 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Bristol Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.