Compare towns
North Windham vs Appleton vs Gorham vs Bridgton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
North Windham has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
Bridgton has the most homeowners (82.8%).
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 | North Windham | Appleton | Gorham | Bridgton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,417 |
1,360Lowest |
18,300Highest |
5,642 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3 6% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
45.9±9.9 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Bridgton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Bridgton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bridgton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,522±$8k 18% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$77,500±$24k 4% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $342,800±$29k 16% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$316,600±$37k 7% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,248±$604 10% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,188±$218 4% above ME |
| Gorham and North Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,546 17% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$2,929Lowest 4% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.7%±14.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
30.7%±17.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.1% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 7% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
41 minHighest 67% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.9%±6.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
13.4%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| North Windham and Gorham 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 | — | — | #24 of 133 in ME | #106 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 61/MSAD 61 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Gorham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 12 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.