Saco receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Saco
Portland
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 45%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
91 · Top 3%
vs38 · Bottom 33%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Saco | Portland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,819 | 68,854 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,241 | $79,540 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,652 | $52,781 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 540/sq mi | 3,197/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $413,100 | $489,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,249 | $1,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.8% | 46.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.5% | 59.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.4% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 812 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.9% | 124.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 66 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 20.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.84 | 11.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 88.6% | 69.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 89.4% | 79.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.4% | 54.2% | 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
Saco
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Portland
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Saco, ME · Portland, ME · How this is calculated: methodology