Compare towns
Berwick vs Biddeford vs Windham vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Sidney has the most affordable homes ($336k median).
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 | Berwick | Biddeford | Windham | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,175 |
22,498Highest |
19,188 |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±2.9 9% below ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,771±$24k 27% above ME |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Windham and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $369,100±$19k 24% above ME |
$396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$4,401 45% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±46Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Berwick and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.2% ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.4% ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 20% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Windham 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | #111 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 14 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Biddeford High School | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.1Highest |
12.1Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.