Compare towns
Windsor vs Meredith vs Benton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windsor has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Benton has the shortest commute (20 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 | Windsor | Meredith | Benton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,690Lowest |
6,758Highest |
2,770 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.5±8 12% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
42.8±6Lowest 10% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±4.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.3%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.2%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Benton and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,178±$5k 22% below U.S. |
$87,019±$19kHighest 8% above U.S. |
$61,437±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Meredith and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $228,800±$22k 31% below U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$176,700±$23kLowest 47% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,265±$400Highest 10% below U.S. |
$1,149±$304 19% below U.S. |
$1,110±$123Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Windsor and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,160 31% below U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$1,758Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.2%±31.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
65.7%±22.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Benton and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
10%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 35% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 26% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.5%±3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #44 of 133 in ME | #62 of 120 in NH | #85 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 12 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | RSU 49/MSAD 49 |
| High school in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.