Compare towns
Windham vs Carmel 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%).
Carmel has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
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 | Carmel | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,188Highest |
2,941Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Carmel 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% |
18.6%±4.3Lowest 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%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
16.5%±5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Carmel 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% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Windham 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 |
$82,188±$22kLowest 10% above ME |
$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 |
$256,800±$37kLowest 13% 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±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Carmel 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 |
$2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 7% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 14 | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Windham High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
— | 12.5Highest |
| 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.