Compare towns
Biddeford vs Somerville
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 people working from home (14.2%).
Somerville has the most kids (28.8% under 18).
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 | Somerville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Highest 22% below ME |
33.5±11.3Lowest 25% below ME |
| Biddeford and Somerville 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% |
28.8%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Biddeford and Somerville 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% |
25.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kHighest 3% below ME |
$71,250±$15kLowest 5% below ME |
| Biddeford and Somerville 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 |
$218,100±$41kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100Lowest 13% above ME |
$1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
| Somerville and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$2,505Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±58.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Somerville and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 15.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #111 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.