Compare towns
Biddeford vs Gray vs Saco vs Waterville
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).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k 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 | Biddeford | Gray | Saco | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
8,429Lowest |
20,819 |
17,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
35.5±2.5 21% below ME |
| Saco and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray 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% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4k 3% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below 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±$100 13% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
| Gray and Biddeford 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 15.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
48.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Saco 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— | 12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.