Compare towns
Gray vs Mapleton vs South 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
South Windham has the most people working from home (24.5%).
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 | Mapleton | South Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Highest |
1,884 |
1,212Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-11.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
36.5±13.2Lowest 19% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
3.6%±4.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Gray 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% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
7.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.9%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| South Windham 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25kLowest 23% above ME |
$133,223±$21kHighest 78% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$314,300±$81k 6% above ME |
| Gray and South 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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,824±$2kHighest 60% above ME |
| South Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,941 3% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±27.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.5%±15.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| South Windham and Gray 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.