Compare towns
Cushing vs Saco vs Gorham vs Thomaston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cushing has the most homeowners (84.7%).
Saco has the most renters (27.2% rent).
Gorham has the highest household income ($112k).
Thomaston has the shortest commute (14 min average).
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 | Cushing | Saco | Gorham | Thomaston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,460Lowest |
20,819Highest |
18,300 |
2,769 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±7.7 9% above ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
58.1±6.6Highest 30% above ME |
| Thomaston and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Gorham and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.5%±0.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.5%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.4% ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $83,500±$19k 12% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$56,435±$13kLowest 24% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $409,800±$44k 38% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$271,700±$10kLowest 8% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,553±$376 36% above ME |
$1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,262±$343 11% above ME |
| Gorham and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,944Lowest 30% above ME |
$4,807 58% above ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$4,487 48% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.7%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
60.5%±23.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Thomaston and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
73.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
27 minHighest 10% above ME |
14 minLowest 45% below ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±6.3 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #38 of 133 in ME | #24 of 133 in ME | #99 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 13 | Saco Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools | RSU 13 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gorham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.