Compare towns
Bath vs Biddeford vs Saco vs Brewer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Bath | Biddeford | Saco | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
22,498Highest |
20,819 |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+6% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
| Bath and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Biddeford and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$72,333±$4k 3% below ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$396,600±$25k 34% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Saco and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Biddeford and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$4,401 45% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1952 25 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
24 min 4% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Saco 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #111 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Biddeford Public Schools | Saco Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Biddeford High School | None in town | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
14.1 |
— | 14.0Lowest |
| 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.