Compare towns
Scarborough vs Waterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scarborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17%).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).
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 | Scarborough | Waterville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 23,215Highest |
17,077Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±2.7Highest 9% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Scarborough and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 24.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minHighest 21% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Scarborough and Waterville 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Scarborough Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Scarborough High School | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.0Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| 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.