Compare towns
Gray vs New Gloucester vs Wayne 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).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
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 | Wayne | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,766 |
1,101Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
-5%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 |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest 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% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$93,194±$26kLowest 25% 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±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% 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±$554Lowest 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 |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 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% |
7.9%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% |
89.9%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 |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | #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 38 | 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 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.