What stands out worked out from the figures below

Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).

Bow has the highest household income ($173k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Biddeford	Bow
People
Population	22,498Highest	8,335Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35±2.6Lowest 10% below U.S.	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	15.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	17.1%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bow and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	11%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,333±$4kLowest 10% below U.S.	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$396,600±$25kLowest 19% above U.S.	$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$100Lowest 9% below U.S.	$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S.
	Bow and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,401Lowest 41% above U.S.	$9,584Highest 207% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	39%±13.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bow and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	48.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 10% below U.S.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	14.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#111 of 133 in ME	#26 of 120 in NH
School district	Biddeford Public Schools	Bow School District
High school in town	Biddeford High School	Bow High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.1Highest	12.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.