Compare towns
Gray vs Salem 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).
Salem has the most renters (50.3% rent).
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 | Salem | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
44,795Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
39.3±1.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.8±1.8 7% above U.S. |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
15.7%±1.7Lowest 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%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gray and Salem 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% |
47.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
8.2%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Salem and Gray 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 18% above U.S. |
$85,153±$5kLowest 5% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14kHighest 34% above U.S. |
| 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±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$542,800±$18kHighest 63% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22k 17% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,836±$84Highest 30% above U.S. |
$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,114Highest 96% above U.S. |
$3,938 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.9%±4.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Salem 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% |
12.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
49.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Salem 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 | #248 of 282 in MA | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Salem | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Salem High | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
9.8Lowest |
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.