Compare towns
Standish vs Biddeford vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Standish has the most affordable homes ($336k median).
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
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 | Standish | Biddeford | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,662Lowest |
22,498Highest |
19,188 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.5±2.8 10% below ME |
35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
41.8±1.8Highest 7% below ME |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±3.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±1.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36% ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
11%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Standish and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,593±$15k 40% above ME |
$72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,000±$18kLowest 13% above ME |
$396,600±$25kHighest 34% above ME |
$388,900±$22k 31% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,292±$100Highest 13% above ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
| Biddeford and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,005Lowest about the ME average |
$4,401Highest 45% above ME |
$3,938 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.2%±6 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3% ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 20% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.6%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Biddeford 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 | #18 of 133 in ME | #111 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Biddeford Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | Bonny Eagle High School | Biddeford High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
14.1Highest |
12.1Lowest |
| 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.