Compare towns
Biddeford vs Durham vs Waterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Biddeford has the most kids (15.6% under 18).
Durham has the highest household income ($124k).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Biddeford | Durham | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
15,080Lowest |
17,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35±2.6 10% below U.S. |
20.8±0.3Lowest 47% below U.S. |
35.5±2.5Highest 9% below U.S. |
| Waterville and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Biddeford and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.3%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Waterville 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
75.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
55.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
18.1%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4k 10% below U.S. |
$124,056±$21kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$53,580±$4kLowest 34% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25k 19% above U.S. |
$504,300±$41kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$184,600±$21kLowest 45% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100 9% below U.S. |
$1,429±$143Highest about the U.S. average |
$978±$72Lowest 31% below U.S. |
| Durham and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401 41% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$2,755Lowest 12% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±16Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.5%±8.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Durham and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
15.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
48.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 10% below U.S. |
19 min 27% below U.S. |
18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.6%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Durham and Waterville 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 | #9 of 120 in NH | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | Oyster River Coop School District | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Oyster River High School | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.3Lowest |
12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 51 photos → | 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.