Compare towns
Brewer vs Dayton vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
Dayton has the highest household income ($114k).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Brewer | Dayton | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652 |
2,313Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
| Saco and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
| Dayton and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$398,200±$34k 34% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Saco and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,215±$867 7% above ME |
$1,249±$385Highest 10% above ME |
| Saco and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,872 28% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Saco 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Dayton Public Schools | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
— | — |
| 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.