Compare towns
Oakland vs Sidney vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Oakland has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Oakland | Sidney | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,309 |
4,790Lowest |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.2±6.9Lowest 10% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
| Sidney and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±5.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Oakland and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Oakland and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,813±$16kLowest 4% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $236,000±$23kLowest 20% below ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| Windham and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$74Lowest 18% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Sidney and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,439Lowest 20% below ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 8% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Sidney 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 | #23 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 18 | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Messalonskee High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.2Highest |
— | 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.