Compare towns
Gray vs Hampden vs Sidney 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 renters (17.6% rent).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($389k median).
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 | Hampden | Sidney | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
7,896 |
4,790Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Gray and Sidney 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% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Sidney 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% |
17.2%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Sidney 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% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 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 |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% 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 |
$301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| 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 |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| Gray and Sidney 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 |
$3,694 22% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest 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% |
7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 22 | RSU 18 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Hampden Academy | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.8Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
| 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.