Compare towns
Gray vs Chesterville vs Windham vs Hampden
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).
Chesterville has the most affordable homes ($214k median).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Chesterville | Windham | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,397Lowest |
19,188Highest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
41±2.9 8% 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%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Hampden 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% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Hampden 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% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden 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 |
$214,000±$40kLowest 28% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
| 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±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,088±$73Lowest 4% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
| Gray and Hampden 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 |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,694 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 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% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 14 | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Windham High School | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 12.1Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| 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.