Compare towns
Standish vs Waterville vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k 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.
| Measure | Standish | Waterville | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,662Lowest |
17,077 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.7% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.5±2.8 10% below ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
41.8±1.8Highest 7% below ME |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±3.1 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Waterville and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11.6%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,593±$15k 40% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $983±$453 14% below ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,005 about the ME average |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 20% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.6%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Waterville 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 | #18 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Bonny Eagle High School | Waterville Senior High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
12.8Highest |
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.