Auburn and Sanford receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Auburn
Sanford
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
54 · Bottom 2%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
84 · Top 18%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
53 · Top 47%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Access
46 · Bottom 3%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs62 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Auburn | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,602 | 22,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,647 | $72,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,895 | $39,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 415/sq mi | 466/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $282,000 | $280,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,041 | $1,152 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.1% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.8% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 108 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 33.3% | -44.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.0" | 41.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 86 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.4 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.56 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 72.1% | 76.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 79.8% | 76.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.3% | 54.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, drought.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Auburn, ME · Sanford, ME · How this is calculated: methodology