Sanford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Biddeford
Sanford
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 29%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
48 · Bottom 45%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs62 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Biddeford | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,498 | 22,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,333 | $72,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,562 | $39,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 748/sq mi | 466/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $396,600 | $280,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,292 | $1,152 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.1% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.1% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 109 | 63 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.4% | -44.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 41.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 63 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.02 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 71.3% | 76.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 79.7% | 76.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.0% | 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
Biddeford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Biddeford, ME · Sanford, ME · How this is calculated: methodology