Compare towns
Gray vs Windham vs Ellsworth
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 oldest population (median age 43.4).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429Lowest |
19,188Highest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest 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% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray 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% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Ellsworth 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 |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% 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 |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below 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 |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest 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 | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Windham High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
12.1Lowest |
12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.