Compare towns
Sidney vs Saco vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sidney has the most kids (23.1% under 18).
Saco has the most people working from home (19%).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
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 | Sidney | Saco | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,790Lowest |
20,819Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Saco and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Gray and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Saco and Sidney 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | Saco Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.