Compare towns
Penobscot vs Windham vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Penobscot has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
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 | Penobscot | Windham | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,154Lowest |
19,188Highest |
1,836 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
52.4±5.6 17% above ME |
| Penobscot and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±6 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Penobscot and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Windham and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,194±$14kLowest 15% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,400±$58k about the ME average |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$296,300±$36kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,141±$33 about the ME average |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Windham and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,852Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$1,903 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.7%±13.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Penobscot 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 | — |
| School district | Penobscot Public Schools | RSU 14 | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— |
| 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.