Compare towns
Gray vs Northwood vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Northwood has the highest household income ($129k).
Windham has the shortest commute (26 min average).
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 | Northwood | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
4,688Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
42.4±7.8 9% above U.S. |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% above U.S. |
| Gray and Northwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
18%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Northwood 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
38.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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±$8kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$129,375±$23kHighest 60% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14k 34% above U.S. |
| Northwood 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 9% above U.S. |
$363,000±$13kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22kHighest 17% above U.S. |
| 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 about the U.S. average |
$1,201±$372Lowest 15% below U.S. |
$1,232±$332 13% below U.S. |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$5,806Highest 86% above U.S. |
$3,938 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
23.7%±29.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 8% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.7%±6.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Windham and Northwood 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 | #24 of 120 in NH | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Northwood School District · Coe-Brown Northwood Academy School District | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Coe-Brown Northwood Academy | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.5Lowest |
12.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.