Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Solon 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).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Solon has the most affordable homes ($184k median).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | New Gloucester | Solon | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766 |
963Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
45.9±5.4Highest about the ME average |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Solon and Gray 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% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester 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% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Solon 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
25%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$69,205±$20kLowest 7% below ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
| New Gloucester 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 |
$357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$183,600±$12kLowest 38% below 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 |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$915±$100Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$1,854Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8Lowest 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% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
10.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | — | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | — | 12.1Lowest |
| 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.