Compare towns
Gray vs Windham vs Buxton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Buxton has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
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 | Windham | Buxton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
19,188Highest |
8,512 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
| Buxton and Gray 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% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest 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%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kLowest 27% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
| Windham and Buxton 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 |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$356,800±$21kLowest 20% 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±$89 20% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
| Buxton 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 |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,422Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Gray 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 | #104 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.1Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.