Compare towns
Gray vs Mount Desert vs York 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).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
York has the most people working from home (26%).
Windham has the youngest population (median age 41.8).
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 | Mount Desert | York | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,671Lowest |
13,986 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
49.5±5.2 10% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Mount Desert and York 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| York 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.9%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and York 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% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
53.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mount Desert 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 |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
| York 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 |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| York 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 |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,658Highest 53% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| York and Gray 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% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| York and Mount Desert 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 | — | #13 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools | York Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | York High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 9.6Lowest |
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.