Compare towns
Gray vs Portsmouth 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 affordable homes ($364k median).
Portsmouth has the most expensive homes ($689k median).
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 | Portsmouth | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
22,545Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
42.9±2 10% above U.S. |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% above U.S. |
| Gray and Portsmouth 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% |
14%±1.9Lowest 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% |
21.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Portsmouth 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
64%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.2Lowest 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. |
$106,219±$7k 32% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14kHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Windham and Portsmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$688,500±$39kHighest 107% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22k 17% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,869±$111Highest 32% above U.S. |
$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$8,018Highest 157% above U.S. |
$3,938 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Portsmouth 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% |
6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Portsmouth 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 | #11 of 120 in NH | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Portsmouth School District | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Portsmouth High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
12.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.