Compare towns
Gray vs Dayton vs Brunswick 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).
Dayton has the most kids (20.4% under 18).
Brunswick has the most renters (28.8% rent).
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 | Dayton | Brunswick | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
2,313Lowest |
22,336Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Gray and Dayton 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% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Windham 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% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Gray 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% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
| Dayton 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±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Dayton and Windham 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 |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Brunswick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$3,872 28% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Dayton Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Brunswick High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 10.9Lowest |
12.1 |
| 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.