Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Standish 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 oldest population (median age 43.4).
New Gloucester has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
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 | Standish | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766Lowest |
10,662 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.7% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
40.5±2.8 10% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
16.4%±3.1Lowest 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%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Windham 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36% ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$104,593±$15k 40% above 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 |
$336,000±$18kLowest 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 |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$983±$453Lowest 14% 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 |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Standish 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% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
7.3%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% |
91.2%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 |
1980Lowest 3 yrs 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 |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8 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 | #18 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 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Bonny Eagle High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.5Highest |
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.