Compare towns
Manchester vs Windham vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Manchester | Windham | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,424Lowest |
19,188Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.9±4.6 5% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Manchester and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Windham and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,031±$16k 23% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
| Windham and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $299,600±$40kLowest about the ME average |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $993±$116Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Windham and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,486 15% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Windham and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield 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 | — | #95 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 38 | RSU 14 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Windham High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Highest |
11.5Lowest |
| 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.