Compare towns
Biddeford vs Unity 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 expensive homes ($397k median).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Waterville has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Unity | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
1,858Lowest |
17,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6 22% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
35.5±2.5Highest 21% below ME |
| Waterville and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Biddeford and Waterville 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% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Waterville and Biddeford 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% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kHighest 3% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% 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 |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Unity 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% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 4% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Unity 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 | — | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Ecology Learning Ctr | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.4Lowest |
12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.