Compare towns
Gray vs Poland vs Windham vs Raymond
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Poland has the most affordable homes ($284k median).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Raymond has the most people working from home (32.3%).
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 | Poland | Windham | Raymond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,954 |
19,188Highest |
4,610Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+2.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.2±9.4 about the ME average |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
47.3±4.1Highest 6% above ME |
| Raymond and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±4.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Poland 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% |
17.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.2%±5.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Raymond 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% ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
49.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Poland 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 |
$85,557±$23kLowest 14% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$88,194±$20k 18% 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 |
$283,600±$44kLowest 4% below ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$395,800±$42kHighest 33% above ME |
| Raymond 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 |
$1,198±$128 5% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$965±$397Lowest 15% below 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 |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,139 3% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.3%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Poland 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% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
37 minHighest 50% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
32.3%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Raymond and Poland 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 | #81 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #112 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 16 | RSU 14 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Poland Regional H S | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.2 |
12.1Lowest |
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| 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.