Compare towns
Gray vs Windham vs West Bath
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).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
West Bath has the oldest population (median age 54.2).
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 | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
19,188Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest 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% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and West Bath 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 |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
| Windham and West Bath 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 |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Windham 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 |
$1,112±$327Lowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$3,516Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and West Bath 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and West Bath 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 | West Bath Public Schools |
| 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 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.