Compare towns
Gray vs Edgecomb vs Windham vs Cumberland
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).
Edgecomb has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.5%).
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 | Edgecomb | Windham | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,251Lowest |
19,188Highest |
8,647 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±8.8Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
41.9±4 6% below ME |
| Gray and Cumberland 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% |
16.9%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±7.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Edgecomb and Cumberland 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% |
39.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
8%±6.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Edgecomb 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±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$108,750±$18k 46% above ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$348,400±$36kLowest 17% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
— | $1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
| Cumberland 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 |
$3,577Lowest 18% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.1%±43.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Cumberland 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% |
5.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.7% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
22 minLowest 10% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland 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 | #25 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Edgecomb Public Schools | RSU 14 | RSU 51/MSAD 51 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School | Greely High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1 |
9.5Lowest |
| 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.