Compare towns
Winthrop vs Gray vs Manchester
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 people working from home (23.1%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Manchester 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 | Winthrop | Gray | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,191 |
8,429Highest |
2,424Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME |
| Manchester and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,470±$4kLowest 16% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,031±$16k 23% above ME |
| Gray and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$299,600±$40k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$993±$116 13% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,506 15% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,486Lowest 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Winthrop 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #12 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
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.