City profile · Maine · Census ACS 2023

Saco, ME

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

20,636
Residents
$84,328
Median income
$370,300
Median home
$1,716
Median rent (state)

Saco - the verdict

Nationally, Saco sits in the 66th percentile for household income and the 57th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

66th
percentile, household income
74th
percentile, home value
69th
percentile, median rent
57th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Saco, ME

20,636 people live in Saco, Maine - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Saco brings in $84,328 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. Saco's housing stock carries a median value of $370,300, and the median resident age is 43.7 years. Educational attainment runs 40.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 68.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 76 residential building permits were authorized in Saco (Slowing), down 25% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Saco reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1158.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Maine tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Maine at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,716 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maine run around $273, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Saco workers runs 20.8 minutes, with 72.7% driving alone and 15.7% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 81.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

20,636 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maine

Median Household Income

$84,328 /yr

Poverty 5.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maine average

How does Saco compare to other US cities?

Saco measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 66% higher than other cities
Home value 74% pricier than other cities
Median rent 69% pricier than other cities
Safety 57% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Maine alone, Saco ranks #42 of 73 Maine cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Saco against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maine only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Maine-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Saco toward the top of Maine's cities

Among the 151 Maine cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Saco ranks #28 - the 81st percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Saco only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#27 of 145
81st percentile in Maine
Median Gross Rent
#22 of 154
75th percentile in Maine
Median Home Value
#28 of 151
81st percentile in Maine
Poverty Rate
#90 of 154
42nd percentile in Maine
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#44 of 154
71st percentile in Maine

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Maine only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

66thIncome percentile
57thSafety percentile

66th percentile nationally for median household income · 57th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Saco's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Saco's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 51 Avg. percentile National median
Saco's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Saco's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$370,300 26th percentile more affordable than 26% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Saco $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Saco, ME Saco, ME's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Saco, ME-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Saco, ME median $84,328/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Saco, ME's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Saco, ME. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 40.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.3%

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

Population
20,636
Median Income
$84,328
Median Home Value
$370,300
Median Age
43.7
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
68.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1158.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
80.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1078.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
20,000 residents20,500 residents21,000 residents21,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 20,417 residents 21,159 residents ▲ +3.6%
Saco's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
76
housing units authorized
Single-Family
62
detached homes
Multifamily
14
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 101
2020 105
2021 134
2022 98
2023 81
2024 76

Permit volume decreased 25% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.8 minutes
Drive Alone
72.7%
Carpool
7.9%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
15.7%
Other
1.4%

Based on 11,571 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

Cost of living is a Maine state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Saco sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,716/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
81.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maine

Westbrook
20,484 people
Sanford
22,095 people
Augusta
18,999 people
Biddeford
22,463 people
Auburn
24,294 people
Brunswick
16,928 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Saco's 20,636 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

South St. Paul, MN
20,633 people
Elko, NV
20,624 people
Groveland, FL
20,621 people
Shafter, CA
20,618 people
Parma Heights, OH
20,616 people
Pittsburg, KS
20,606 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Saco's $84,328 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Greilickville, MI
$84,327 median income
Clemmons, NC
$84,326 median income
Richland, MI
$84,333 median income
Denver City, TX
$84,333 median income
Barrington, NJ
$84,334 median income
Wallowa Lake, OR
$84,321 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Saco, 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 Saco, ME - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.8% 7.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.9% White 86.8% Black or African American 2.9% Asian 1.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.8% Two or more races 7.1% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Saco compares to nearby Maine cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Saco (this city) 20,636 $84,328
Westbrook 20,484 $85,868
Sanford 22,095 $70,570
Augusta 18,999 $48,756
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ME FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Saco, ME?

What is the population of Saco, ME? +

Saco, ME has a population of 20,636 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Saco runs $84,328, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Saco? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Saco; the closest available measure is the Maine state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Maine vary by metro area.

Is Saco, ME safe? +

Saco has a total crime rate of 1158.7 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

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

Homes in Saco carry a median value of $370,300, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.