Compare towns
Lake Arrowhead vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lake Arrowhead has the most kids (26.9% under 18).
Saco has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Lake Arrowhead | Saco |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 3,322Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 33±2.4Lowest 26% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 26.9%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 7.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Saco and Lake Arrowhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $98,654±$9kHighest 32% above ME |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
| Lake Arrowhead and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,300±$19kLowest 10% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,288±$327Highest 101% above ME |
$1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,286Lowest 25% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±36.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Lake Arrowhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 2.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 39 minHighest 57% above ME |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.