Compare towns
Gray vs Sandown 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).
Sandown has the most people working from home (27.4%).
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 | Sandown | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
6,628Lowest |
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. |
40.8±3.7Lowest 5% above U.S. |
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%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±6.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Sandown and Windham 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% |
14.2%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
34.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Sandown 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. |
$135,040±$25kHighest 67% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14k 34% above U.S. |
| Sandown 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±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$483,400±$44kHighest 45% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22k 17% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,893±$721Highest 34% above U.S. |
$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Sandown and Gray 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. |
$8,801Highest 182% above U.S. |
$3,938 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.1%±48.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Sandown and Gray 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% |
10.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 8% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 27% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.4%±13.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sandown 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 | #71 of 120 in NH | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Timberlane Regional School District | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
| 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.