Compare towns
Saco vs Thorndike vs Unity
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Saco has the most expensive homes ($413k median).
Thorndike has the most kids (49.8% under 18).
Unity has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Saco | Thorndike | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,819Highest |
1,403Lowest |
1,858 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-13%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
27.5±2.2 39% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±2.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.2% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$78,438±$14k 5% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
| Saco and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$205,600±$88kLowest 31% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,249±$385Highest 10% above ME |
$836±$317Lowest 27% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
| Saco and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$2,537 16% below ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
36%±62.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.5% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.8% ME: 74.3% |
87.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 3% below ME |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Thorndike and Saco 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 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt View High School | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7Lowest |
12.4Highest |
| 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.