What it's like to live in Saco
Saco is a small city in Maine with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Saco deals with cold winters, heavy snowfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 69" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Saco compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Saco
Based on Saco's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$82,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,310
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Job market▼ 37% below US
2.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 90% below US
33 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1018/100k · Saco Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 77°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Frances Perkins National Monument (55 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Saco's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and heavy snowfall. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Saco
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