Compare towns
Mapleton vs Gray vs South Windham vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
South Windham has the most people working from home (24.5%).
Castle Hill has the oldest population (median age 57.8).
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 | Mapleton | Gray | South Windham | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
8,429Highest |
1,212 |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-11.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
36.5±13.2Lowest 19% below ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
3.6%±4.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
7.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.6% ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.9%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| South Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$133,223±$21kHighest 78% above ME |
$54,250±$14kLowest 27% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$314,300±$81k 6% above ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Gray and South Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,824±$2kHighest 60% above ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
| South Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,941 3% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
0%±27.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
24.5%±15.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| South 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.