Compare towns
Windham vs Mount Desert vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Windham | Mount Desert | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,188 |
1,671Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Windham and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.2% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Saco and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
| Windham and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $388,900±$22kLowest 31% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,232±$332Lowest 8% above ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,938 30% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 7% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 19%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Windham 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 | #95 of 133 in ME | — | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 14 | Mount Desert Public Schools | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Windham High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1 |
— | — |
| 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.