Compare towns
Gray vs South Berwick vs Wells 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 affordable homes ($364k median).
South Berwick has the most kids (26.7% under 18).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | South Berwick | Wells | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
7,670Lowest |
11,713 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick 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% |
15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$99,572±$13k 33% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$428,300±$26k 44% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick 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% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Wells 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 | #58 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Marshwood High School | Wells High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
13.0Highest |
11.4Lowest |
12.1 |
| 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.