Compare towns
Wells vs Windham vs Hermon vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wells has the most expensive homes ($485k median).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Hermon has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Gray has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
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 | Wells | Windham | Hermon | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713 |
19,188Highest |
6,727Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Windham and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$333,600±$32kLowest 12% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Hermon and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215 6% above ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Wells 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 14 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Windham High School | Hermon High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
12.1 |
14.6Highest |
12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.