Compare towns
Gray vs Wayne vs Topsham vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Topsham has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Wayne | Topsham | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
1,101Lowest |
9,706 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne 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% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Gray 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 |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$91,028±$10kLowest 22% 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±$20k 23% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
$360,800±$20kLowest 22% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% 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 |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% 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 |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Topsham 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% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | — | #66 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Mt Ararat High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.2 |
12.1Lowest |
| 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.