Compare towns
Porter vs Saco vs Brownfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Porter has the most affordable homes ($226k median).
Saco has the highest household income ($92k).
Brownfield has the most kids (26.7% under 18).
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 | Porter | Saco | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,746Lowest |
20,819Highest |
1,830 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.9±7.9 9% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
39.9±6.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Saco and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.8%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 20.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Porter and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Saco and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,417±$9kLowest 19% below ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$60,889±$5k 19% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $226,100±$20kLowest 24% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$287,500±$36k 3% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
| Brownfield and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,841Lowest 39% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$2,976 about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brownfield and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 30% above ME |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.5%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Saco and Porter 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 | — | #38 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Saco Public Schools | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| 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.