Compare towns
Windham vs Appleton vs Warren vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Appleton has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
Warren has the shortest commute (23 min average).
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 | Windham | Appleton | Warren | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 19,188Highest |
1,360Lowest |
4,932 |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
42.2±2.2 6% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±5.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
12%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.2% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
21.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Warren are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$74,616±$21k about the ME average |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$232,700±$32kLowest 22% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,125±$456 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$2,832Lowest 7% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
52.1%±29.8 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
81.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 7% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.6%±9.3 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Gray 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 | #95 of 133 in ME | — | #120 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 14 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Windham High School | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
— | — | 12.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.