Compare towns
Gray vs Sumner vs Windham vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sumner has the most affordable homes ($150k median).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Topsham has the shortest commute (24 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 | Sumner | Windham | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
845Lowest |
19,188Highest |
9,706 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Sumner and Topsham 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% |
17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham 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% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% 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 |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| 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±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— | $1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham 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 |
$2,167Lowest 29% below ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner 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% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Sumner 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 | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 10 | RSU 14 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
12.2 |
| 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.