Compare towns
Gray vs Wells vs York 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).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
York has the most people working from home (26%).
Windham has the youngest population (median age 41.8).
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 | York | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
11,713 |
13,986 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
49.5±5.2 10% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Wells and York 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% |
18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| York 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% |
27.9%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and York 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% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.1%Highest 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% |
2.5%±1.3Lowest 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±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
| York and Windham 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 |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
$636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
| York 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 |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,658Highest 53% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| York 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| York 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #13 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | York Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Wells High School | York High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
11.4 |
9.6Lowest |
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.