Compare towns
Gray vs Rome vs Smithfield 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).
Rome has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.7%).
Smithfield has the most affordable homes ($243k median).
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 | Rome | Smithfield | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,215 |
856Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+13.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48.3±9.2 8% above ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Smithfield and Rome 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% |
21.4%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Rome 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% |
24.7%±9.1 ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Smithfield and Rome 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% |
39.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±4.8 ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Rome 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 |
$77,639±$25kLowest 4% above ME |
$107,917±$27k 44% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Smithfield 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 |
$329,300±$36k 11% above ME |
$242,800±$15kLowest 18% below 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±$56 about the ME average |
$1,109±$358Lowest about the ME average |
$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 |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
$2,866 6% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Rome 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% |
10.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield 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 | — | — | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | — | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | — | 12.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.