Compare towns
Windham vs Patten 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Patten has the most affordable homes ($128k 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 | Patten | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,188Highest |
1,154Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest 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% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.2% ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest 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 |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% below 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 |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% 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 |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$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 |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Patten 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% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 7% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Windham 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 14 | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Windham High School | — | 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 |
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.