Compare towns

Pownal vs Readfield vs Windham

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pownal has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).

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.

MeasurePownalReadfieldWindham
People
Population
1,696Lowest
2,651
19,188Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+6.2%
ME: +2.6%
0%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
+8.4%Highest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
47.2±8.4
5% above ME
48.1±7.6Highest
7% above ME
41.8±1.8Lowest
7% below ME
Readfield and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
24.2%±4.7Highest
ME: 18.1%
18.7%±3.9Lowest
ME: 18.1%
19.2%±2.7
ME: 18.1%
Pownal and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
23.5%±2.6Highest
ME: 22.4%
22.3%±4.5
ME: 22.4%
15.9%±2.1Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Pownal and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
49%Highest
ME: 36.2%
48.8%
ME: 36.2%
44.2%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.2%±1.9Highest
ME: 5.8%
3.3%±2Lowest
ME: 5.8%
3.9%±1.1
ME: 5.8%
Pownal and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$104,333±$14k
40% above ME
$86,504±$8kLowest
16% above ME
$107,934±$14kHighest
44% above ME
Windham and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$436,800±$32kHighest
47% above ME
$326,400±$20kLowest
10% above ME
$388,900±$22k
31% above ME
Pownal and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$981±$636Lowest
14% below ME
$1,125±$844
about the ME average
$1,232±$332Highest
8% above ME
Windham and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$5,212Highest
72% above ME
$3,392Lowest
12% above ME
$3,938
30% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
78.9%±22.5Highest
ME: 48.4%
31.3%±100Lowest
ME: 48.4%
32.7%±14.7
ME: 48.4%
Below poverty line
5.5%Highest
ME: 10.7%
5%
ME: 10.7%
3.4%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
89.4%
ME: 74.3%
89.9%Highest
ME: 74.3%
84.6%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1971Lowest
6 yrs older than ME
1979
2 yrs newer than ME
1985Highest
8 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
30 minHighest
22% above ME
30 min
20% above ME
26 minLowest
7% above ME
Work from home
23.9%±5.4
ME: 15.9%
24.3%±14.9Highest
ME: 15.9%
19%±4.1Lowest
ME: 15.9%
Readfield and Pownal 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 — #20 of 133 in ME #95 of 133 in ME
School district RSU 05 RSU 38 RSU 14
High school in town None in town Maranacook Community High Sch Windham High School
Students per teacherat that high school —
11.5Lowest
12.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story 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.