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Place dossier plate
SheetME-SANFORD-ME · Sanford, ME 22,095 pop · income 50th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Sanford
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sanford on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Oxford · lowest
42,147
Oxford · lowest
42,147 median HH income
38.8% of the leader · rank #1
Williams Bay · near
70,568
Williams Bay · near
70,568 median HH income
64.9% of the leader · rank #2
Sanford · this city
70,570
Sanford · this city
70,570 median HH income
64.9% of the leader · rank #3
Brentwood · near
70,573
Brentwood · near
70,573 median HH income
64.9% of the leader · rank #4
Pixley · near
70,574
Pixley · near
70,574 median HH income
64.9% of the leader · rank #5
Waukegan · near
70,578
Waukegan · near
70,578 median HH income
64.9% of the leader · rank #6
Allison Park · highest
108,669
Allison Park · highest
108,669 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Sanford on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 22,095.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sanford - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Sanford lands in the 50th percentile for household income and the 18th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
50th
percentile, household income
57th
percentile, home value
69th
percentile, median rent
18th
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: Sanford, ME
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 22,095 residents in Sanford, a small city within Maine. Median household income here is $70,570 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.7%. Home values in Sanford run a median of $257,200, and the median resident age is 40.4 years. 23.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 111 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 484% from five years earlier. Sanford's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2783.6 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 45.5°F with 51.3 inches of precipitation per year.
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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,448 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maine run around $273, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Sanford workers runs 24.8 minutes, with 79.3% driving alone and 9.3% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 56.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sanford's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income to reported crime to climate and hazard context to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sanford, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Sanford?
Within Maine, the closest population matches are Biddeford (22,463 residents, $69,794 income); Saco (20,636 residents, $84,328 income); Westbrook (20,484 residents, $85,868 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Allison Park, PA (22,108 residents); Clarksville, IN (22,121 residents); Oxford, OH (22,069 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What does the journey to work look like in Sanford?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.3%. The reported mean trip to work is 24.8 minutes.
How far does income reach against housing in Sanford?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sanford?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2783.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 22% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Sanford?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 45.5°F, with 51.3 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Maine is 56.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
45.5°F
Annual precipitation
51.3 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
56.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 23.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
4
Bachelor's degree+
23.6%
Poverty estimate
7.7%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +706 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 111 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+3.2%
2025 estimate
22,663
2020 estimate
21,957
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 7.7% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Maine average
C-
City profile score · Sanford, ME
51/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Violent crime C
157 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income C-
$70,570
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate D
7.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
23.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Sanford profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 57/100 (C) · 157 /100k
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,570
Poverty rate: 49/100 (D) · 7.7%
Bachelor's+ share: 45/100 (D) · 23.6%
Where Sanford sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sanford's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Sanford highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Sanford, ME (this city): home $257,200, crime 2,784/100k
Clarksville, IN : home $172,700, crime 3,527/100k
Sunny Isles Beach, FL : home $489,700, crime 1,328/100k
La Porte, IN : home $143,800, crime 1,848/100k
Oxford, AL : home $164,700, crime 2,804/100k
Biddeford, ME : home $349,300, crime 2,663/100k
Saco, ME : home $370,300, crime 1,159/100k
Westbrook, ME : home $341,800, crime 1,330/100k
Auburn, ME : home $254,600, crime 2,644/100k
Augusta, ME : home $188,900, crime 4,342/100k
South Portland, ME : home $405,800, crime 1,433/100k
How does Sanford compare to other US cities?
Sanford measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income50% higher than other cities
Home value57% pricier than other cities
Median rent69% pricier than other cities
Safety18% 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, Sanford ranks #67 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 Sanford against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maine only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Maine-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Sanford near the bottom of Maine's cities
Among the 154 Maine cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sanford ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sanford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#45 of 145
69th percentile in Maine
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 154
0th percentile in Maine
Median Home Value
#57 of 151
62nd percentile in Maine
Poverty Rate
#77 of 154
50th percentile in Maine
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#92 of 154
40th percentile in Maine
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
50th percentile nationally for median household income · 18th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sanford's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sanford'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 Sanford's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$257,20043rd percentilemore affordable than 43% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Sanford's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,525 of 15,516
More affordable than 39% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,633 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.6×, Sanford sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,525 of 15,516 and #1,633 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$70,570Sanford, ME median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sanford, ME median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Sanford, ME.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)23.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
22,095
Median Income
$70,570
Median Home Value
$257,200
Median Age
40.4
Poverty Rate
7.7%
Labor force participation
63.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
23.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2783.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
156.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2627.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
45.5°F
Annual Precipitation
51.3"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sanford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
21,957 residents
2021
22,169 residents
2022
22,262 residents
2023
22,392 residents
2024
22,567 residents
2025
22,663 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
111
housing units authorized
Single-Family
70
detached homes
Multifamily
41
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
19
17
2
$3.8M
2020
60
56
4
$11.3M
2021
95
43
52
$16.3M
2022
66
42
24
$15.5M
2023
147
60
87
$24.7M
2024
111
70
41
$25.9M
Permit volume increased 484% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
24.8 minutes
Drive Alone
79.3%
Carpool
8.2%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
9.3%
Other
1.0%
Based on 10,938 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Maine statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $273
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Maine at $273 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Maine statewide averages, not a meter reading for Sanford. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Maine's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Sanford is $1,448/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Maine statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 56.7 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Maine statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Sanford sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sanford compares to similar-size Maine cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.