Compare towns
Biddeford vs Gray vs Saco vs Windham
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 affordable homes ($364k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
8,429Lowest |
20,819 |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% 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 |
41.8±1.8 7% 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%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Gray 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±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% 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±$100 13% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above 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 |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray 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% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #111 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.5 |
— | 12.1Lowest |
| 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.