Compare towns
Gray vs South Eliot 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 Eliot has the oldest population (median age 55.5).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 Eliot | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
4,203Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
55.5±8Highest 24% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| South Eliot and Gray 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% |
15.2%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| 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 ME: 22.4% |
32.8%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
49.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| 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 27% above ME |
$99,299±$9k 33% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and South Eliot 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 |
$475,600±$52kHighest 60% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$2,155±$292Highest 89% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,442Highest 46% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
64.3%±29.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| South Eliot and Gray 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% |
5.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and South Eliot 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 Our Story | 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.