Compare towns
Windsor vs Waterville vs Carmel
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windsor has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
Carmel has the highest household income ($82k).
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 | Waterville | Carmel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,690Lowest |
17,077Highest |
2,941 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.2% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.5±8 about the ME average |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
| Carmel and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±6.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Windsor and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.3%±4.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.5%±5 ME: 22.4% |
| Waterville and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,178±$5k 15% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$82,188±$22kHighest 10% above ME |
| Carmel 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 23% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$256,800±$37kHighest 13% below ME |
| Carmel and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,265±$400 11% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,276±$187Highest 12% above ME |
| Carmel and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,160Lowest 29% below ME |
$2,755Highest 9% below ME |
$2,662 12% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.2%±31.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Carmel and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 45% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.5%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #44 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #77 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 12 | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 87/MSAD 23 |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| 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.