Compare towns
Windham vs Biddeford vs Gray vs Standish
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%).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Gray has the oldest population (median age 43.4).
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
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 | Biddeford | Gray | Standish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 19,188 |
22,498Highest |
8,429Lowest |
10,662 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+3.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
43.4±4.5Highest 3% below ME |
40.5±2.8 10% below ME |
| Gray and Windham 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% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±3.1 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% |
17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Biddeford 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% |
32.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Standish and Biddeford 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 |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$104,593±$15k 40% 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 | $388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$336,000±$18kLowest 13% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham 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 |
$1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
| Gray and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,938 30% above ME |
$4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish 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% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 7% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Biddeford 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 | #111 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #18 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 14 | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Windham High School | Biddeford High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Bonny Eagle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
14.1Highest |
12.5 |
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.