Compare towns
Beals vs Saco vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Beals | Saco | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
20,819Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| Beals and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Saco and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,249±$385Highest 10% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Saco and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #38 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | Saco Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.1 |
| 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.