Compare towns
Gray vs Steep Falls vs Windham vs Winthrop
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Steep Falls has the most affordable homes ($243k median).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
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 | Steep Falls | Windham | Winthrop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,861Lowest |
19,188Highest |
6,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.1±6.5Highest about the ME average |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
| Steep Falls and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±9.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
9.7%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Gray 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% |
14.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
40% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4Lowest 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±$8k 27% above ME |
$80,280±$33kLowest 7% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$86,470±$4k 16% above ME |
| 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$243,400±$31kLowest 18% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$294,800±$41k about the ME average |
| 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±$89 20% above ME |
$1,516±$1kHighest 33% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
| Steep Falls and Gray 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 |
$3,273Lowest 8% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,506 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
66.4%±36.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Steep Falls 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% |
7.2% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
4%±4.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop 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 | #12 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 14 | Winthrop Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Windham High School | Winthrop High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1 |
11.7Lowest |
| 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.