Compare towns
Gray vs Vinalhaven vs Mount Desert 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).
Vinalhaven has the oldest population (median age 65.1).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
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 | Vinalhaven | Mount Desert | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,216Lowest |
1,671 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
65.1±3.9Highest 45% above ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Vinalhaven and Mount Desert 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% |
11.2%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 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% |
50.4%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
45.7% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mount Desert 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 |
$72,963±$11kLowest about the ME average |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% 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±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$428,400±$44k 44% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Vinalhaven 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 |
$1,017±$924Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Gray and Mount Desert 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 |
$3,598 19% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
53.6%±41.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Vinalhaven 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Vinalhaven and Mount Desert 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 | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | 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 | 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.