Compare towns
Waterboro vs Windham vs Steep Falls
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waterboro has the most homeowners (90.1%).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Steep Falls has the most affordable homes ($243k median).
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 | Waterboro | Windham | Steep Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,055 |
19,188Highest |
1,861Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.1 6% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
44.1±6.5Highest about the ME average |
| Steep Falls and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.5%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±9.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Steep Falls and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.8%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
9.7%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Windham and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.2% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Waterboro and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $89,392±$16k 20% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$80,280±$33kLowest 7% above ME |
| Windham and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $297,000±$23k about the ME average |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$243,400±$31kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,200±$461Lowest 5% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,516±$1kHighest 33% above ME |
| Steep Falls and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,772Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,273 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.2%±12.5 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66.4%±36.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Steep Falls and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
80.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 42% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 10%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
4%±4.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #80 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 57/MSAD 57 | RSU 14 | — |
| High school in town | Massabesic High School | Windham High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Highest |
12.1Lowest |
— |
| 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.