Compare towns
Biddeford vs Scarborough 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).
Scarborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17%).
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 | Scarborough | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498 |
23,215Highest |
17,077Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
+17%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
48.8±2.7Highest 9% above ME |
35.5±2.5 21% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Scarborough and Biddeford 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% |
24.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1% ME: 36.2% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4k 3% below ME |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25k 34% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401 45% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough 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% |
4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 4% below ME |
19 min 21% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Scarborough 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | Scarborough Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Scarborough High School | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
11.0Lowest |
12.8 |
| 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.