Compare towns
Biddeford vs Oakland vs Unity
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 expensive homes ($397k median).
Oakland has the most kids (29.1% under 18).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Unity is a college town. 30% 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 | Oakland | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
2,710 |
1,858Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
-2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Highest 22% below ME |
32.6±5.5 27% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Biddeford and Oakland 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% |
29.1%±8Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.5%±3.9 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Biddeford and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kHighest 3% below ME |
$44,848±$19kLowest 40% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
| Biddeford and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$167,000±$65kLowest 44% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$956±$119 16% below ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$2,149Lowest 29% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.6%±24.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Oakland and Unity 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% |
13.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.8% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 4% below ME |
19 minLowest 22% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
8.2%±5.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity 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 | #23 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | — | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
— | 12.4Lowest |
| 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.