City profile · Maine · Census ACS 2023

Biddeford, ME

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Biddeford — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

22,463
Residents
$69,794
Median income
$349,300
Median home
$1,448
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Biddeford, ME

Biddeford is a city in Maine with a population of 22,463 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $69,794 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 11.2%. Typical homes in Biddeford are valued around $349,300, and the median resident age is 36.1 years. About 30.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 63 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 350% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2662.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Maine registers 97.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,448 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $273 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Biddeford report an average commute of 19.9 minutes, with 68.2% driving alone and 12.3% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 56.7 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

22,463 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Maine

Median Household Income

$69,794 /yr

Poverty 11.2%

Cost of Living Index

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Biddeford compare to other US cities?

Where Biddeford sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 72% pricier than other cities
Median rent 69% pricier than other cities
Safety 20% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Biddeford against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Biddeford, ME Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Biddeford, ME. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Biddeford, ME — median $69,794/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Biddeford, ME — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 30.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.4%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
22,463
Median Income
$69,794
Median Home Value
$349,300
Median Age
36.1
Poverty Rate
11.2%
Labor force participation
65.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2662.5
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
313.8
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2348.7
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
63
housing units authorized
Single-Family
24
detached homes
Multifamily
39
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 14
2020 17
2021 21
2022 20
2023 16
2024 63

Permit volume increased 350% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.9 minutes
Drive Alone
68.2%
Carpool
10.4%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
7.5%
Work from Home
12.3%
Other
0.8%

Based on 12,647 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Maine — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$273
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Maine state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Maine state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,448/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
56.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Biddeford, ME Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Biddeford, ME — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Biddeford compares to nearby Maine cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Biddeford) plus the nearest peer cities in Maine, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

ME

Biddeford

69.79% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$69,794
Brackets
22
Selected

ME

Sanford

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,210
Brackets
22
Selected

ME

Saco

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,060
Brackets
21
Selected

ME

Auburn

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,430
Brackets
24
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ME FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Biddeford, ME?

What is the population of Biddeford, ME? +

Biddeford, ME has a population of 22,463 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Biddeford, ME? +

The median household income in Biddeford is $69,794 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Biddeford? +

Biddeford has a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Biddeford, ME safe? +

Biddeford has a total crime rate of 2662.5 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Biddeford, ME? +

The median home value in Biddeford is $349,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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