Compare towns
Biddeford vs Wayne vs Dayton
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).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Dayton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | Wayne | Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
1,101Lowest |
2,313 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Biddeford 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
| Dayton and Wayne 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 |
$362,800±$29kLowest 22% above ME |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
| Dayton and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,215±$867 7% above ME |
| Biddeford and Dayton 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 |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$3,872 28% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Dayton and Biddeford 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% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
30 min 24% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Dayton 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 | — | — |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 38 | Dayton Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1 |
— | — |
| 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.