Compare towns
Winthrop vs Brewer vs Gray vs Wayne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Winthrop has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Wayne has the oldest population (median age 55.6).
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 | Winthrop | Brewer | Gray | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,191 |
9,652Highest |
8,429 |
1,101Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.4%±5 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $86,470±$4k 16% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
| Gray and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $294,800±$41k about the ME average |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,506 15% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
30 min 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Winthrop 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 | #12 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | Brewer High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
14.0Highest |
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.