Compare towns
Gray vs Windham vs Strong
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).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Strong has the most affordable homes ($184k 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 | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
19,188Highest |
1,249Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
| Strong and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Strong 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% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Strong 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% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below 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 |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% 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 |
$920±$276Lowest 19% 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 |
$1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Strong 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 14 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| 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 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.