Compare towns
Biddeford vs Ellsworth vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Saco has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Ellsworth | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
8,657Lowest |
20,819 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
| Saco and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Ellsworth and Saco 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 ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
| Saco and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25k 34% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Saco and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Biddeford and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401 45% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
24 min 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Saco 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Ellsworth High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.7Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.