What stands out worked out from the figures below

Biddeford has the most affordable homes ($397k median).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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	Dover
People
Population	22,498Lowest	33,364Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35±2.6Lowest 10% below U.S.	36.9±1.9Highest 5% below U.S.
	Dover and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dover and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.1%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Biddeford and Dover 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%	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	11%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,333±$4kLowest 10% below U.S.	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$396,600±$25kLowest 19% above U.S.	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.
	Dover and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$100Lowest 9% below U.S.	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,401Lowest 41% above U.S.	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dover 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%	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	48.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	52.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	14.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Biddeford 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	#111 of 133 in ME	#64 of 120 in NH
School district	Biddeford Public Schools	Dover School District
High school in town	Biddeford High School	Dover Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.1Highest	12.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.