Compare towns
Gray vs North Windham vs Saco vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
North Windham has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | North Windham | Saco | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,417Lowest |
20,819Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
42±3 6% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Saco 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% |
16.6%±4.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham 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% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Saco 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% |
37%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$88,522±$8kLowest 18% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Gray 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 |
$342,800±$29kLowest 16% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Saco and Windham 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 |
$1,248±$604 10% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$3,546Lowest 17% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.7%±14.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Saco 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% |
6.1% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.1% ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.9%±6.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| North Windham and Saco 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 | — | #38 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | Saco Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | 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.