Compare towns
Biddeford vs Windham vs Buxton
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).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Buxton has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
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 | Windham | Buxton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
19,188 |
8,512Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
| Buxton and Windham 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% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Buxton 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% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Buxton 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
| Windham and Buxton 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 |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
$356,800±$21kLowest 20% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
| Buxton 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 |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$3,422Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Biddeford and Windham 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% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham 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 | #95 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 14 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
12.1Lowest |
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| 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.