Compare towns
Pittston vs Windham vs Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pittston has the youngest population (median age 41.4).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($389k median).
Gardiner has the most renters (31.8% rent).
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 | Pittston | Windham | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,093Lowest |
19,188Highest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.8% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
42±3.6Highest 6% below ME |
| Gardiner and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Gardiner and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,614±$18k 16% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
| Windham and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,080±$593Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Windham and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,909Lowest 37% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.2% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 7% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Gardiner 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 | #123 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 14 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | Windham High School | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| 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.