Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs Sidney 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 renters (17.6% rent).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Sidney has the most kids (23.1% under 18).
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 | Wells | Sidney | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429 |
11,713 |
4,790Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% 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 |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| Gray and Wells 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 |
$3,215 6% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 18 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
— | 12.1 |
| 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.