Compare towns
Belgrade vs Biddeford vs Mount Vernon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belgrade has the highest household income ($88k).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | Belgrade | Biddeford | Mount Vernon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,351 |
22,498Highest |
1,716Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
47.1±6.2 5% above ME |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Vernon and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,338±$13kHighest 18% above ME |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $312,200±$44k 5% above ME |
$396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$264,200±$23kLowest 11% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$893±$168 22% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,859 6% below ME |
$4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$2,832Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Biddeford and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon and Belgrade 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 | #71 of 133 in ME | #111 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 18 | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Biddeford High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.1 |
— |
| 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.