Jobs, pay and daily life in Saco, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Saco is a city in Maine with 20,819 residents. The median household earns $92,241 a year and the median rent is $1,249 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, where BLS counts 288,480 jobs.
How Saco compares. Among the 40 largest places in Maine, Saco is #8 by population, #9 for household income (#1 = highest), #11 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #12 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, York County, is #3 of 16 counties for average pay ($61,811).
Saco has 20,819 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.5% of the population of Maine. It covers 39 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 540 people per square mile. The median age is 44.9, about the same as the state median (44.9 against 44.8).
The median gross rent is $1,249 a month (rent plus utilities), 10% above the state median ($1,249 against $1,139). Over a year that is 16.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $413,100, which is 4.5 times the median household income ($92,241). 72.8% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (72.8% against 74.3%).
The Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area has 288,480 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $56,960 a year, 12% above the national median ($56,960 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (31,590 jobs, median $49,810); food preparation and serving related (26,880 jobs, median $38,170); sales and related (24,590 jobs, median $41,150). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.5 times) and personal care and service (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($113,880) and architecture and engineering ($99,200). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of York County was 2.8%. 67.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in York County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.4% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 1.4% walk, 19.0% work from home. 8.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (8.7% against 14.5%).
43.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% above the state share (43.5% against 36.2%). 7.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 88% above the state share (7.7% against 4.1%). The poverty rate is 6.4%, 41% below the state rate (6.4% against 10.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 69°F (20.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-4.9°C). About 1,318 mm (52 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (140 mm) and Jan the driest (91 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Old Orchard Beach (3 miles, similar rent); Oak Hill (6 miles, rent 40% higher); Biddeford (6 miles, rent 3% higher); South Portland (10 miles, rent 45% higher). Rent differences are against Saco; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Maine (185) →State guide: MaineCountry guideYork CountyMaine rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 185 federal postings open in Maine (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 8,510 | 1.18 | $37,320 | $32,950 | $51,330 | +5% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 8,150 | 1.02 | $38,580 | $35,790 | $46,940 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,040 | 1.12 | $35,300 | $31,190 | $42,990 | +13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,160 | 1.10 | $105,390 | $54,920 | $205,660 | -0% |
| Registered Nurses | 6,970 | 1.11 | $88,470 | $78,430 | $106,040 | -9% |
| Cashiers | 5,610 | 0.98 | $36,210 | $31,120 | $41,050 | +10% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 5,070 | 1.20 | $44,070 | $31,130 | $87,790 | +25% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,950 | 0.94 | $38,930 | $33,190 | $55,080 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,310 | 0.94 | $47,040 | $34,530 | $62,630 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,820 | 0.93 | $40,460 | $35,940 | $53,610 | +10% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,480 | 0.72 | $47,910 | $36,780 | $64,930 | +7% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,440 | 0.90 | $59,900 | $43,780 | $72,800 | +2% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,380 | 1.26 | $48,180 | $41,280 | $58,790 | +14% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 3,180 | 1.80 | $46,670 | $35,320 | $58,260 | +19% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,170 | 1.20 | $48,770 | $38,490 | $60,210 | +33% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,930 | 0.92 | $52,000 | $42,180 | $68,910 | +9% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,830 | 1.10 | $76,770 | $48,600 | $95,590 | +20% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,730 | 1.04 | $46,560 | $38,570 | $54,830 | +25% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,670 | 1.05 | $54,610 | $43,520 | $71,990 | +8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 2,610 | 1.25 | $55,550 | $43,200 | $77,110 | +14% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 690 | 1.08 | $442,790 | $211,690 | $442,790 | +67% |
| Chief Executives | 600 | 1.59 | $176,000 | $79,760 | $510,100 | -18% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 700 | 0.56 | $167,100 | $106,330 | $226,730 | -5% |
| Pharmacists | 620 | 1.04 | $140,620 | $89,940 | $166,550 | -0% |
| Financial Managers | 1,550 | 0.99 | $138,590 | $85,340 | $261,690 | -17% |
| Marketing Managers | 860 | 1.18 | $135,380 | $98,060 | $229,660 | -19% |
| Managers, All Other | 710 | 0.61 | $135,130 | $83,640 | $210,490 | -5% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 720 | 1.21 | $130,240 | $107,820 | $165,090 | -2% |
| Lawyers | 1,360 | 0.97 | $129,990 | $78,990 | $226,030 | -19% |
| Software Developers | 1,460 | 0.47 | $128,710 | $83,760 | $185,130 | -5% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,180 | 1.07 | $127,650 | $79,490 | $246,080 | +3% |
| Engineers, All Other | 510 | 1.78 | $123,780 | $80,290 | $155,150 | +1% |
| Construction Managers | 740 | 1.04 | $117,260 | $62,390 | $171,650 | +2% |
| Electrical Engineers | 650 | 1.77 | $113,760 | $80,740 | $161,230 | -6% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 570 | 0.70 | $113,760 | $72,850 | $172,490 | -2% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 590 | 0.96 | $113,160 | $80,110 | $131,110 | +7% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 630 | 1.15 | $107,060 | $79,600 | $136,160 | +3% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,370 | 0.69 | $105,530 | $66,770 | $150,120 | +3% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,160 | 1.10 | $105,390 | $54,920 | $205,660 | -0% |
| Physical Therapists | 880 | 1.77 | $102,820 | $80,750 | $122,770 | +0% |
These figures are for the whole Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $56,960 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.6% |
| Retail trade | 14.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.4% |
| Manufacturing | 8.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.7% |
| Other services | 3.1% |
| Public administration | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.7% |
| Information | 1.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Saco lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County | 216,731 | $13,650 million | $62,981 | 79,378 | 8,870 | $61,811 | +1.7% | 2.8% | 119,821 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 10,952 | 17.5% | $34,803 | 1.52 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,240 | 16.3% | $59,472 | 0.90 |
| Retail trade | 10,037 | 16.0% | $39,395 | 1.27 |
| Manufacturing | 8,800 | 14.0% | $73,663 | 1.35 |
| Construction | 4,315 | 6.9% | $69,632 | 1.04 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,182 | 5.1% | $105,670 | 0.58 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,364 | 3.8% | $52,238 | 0.51 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,014 | 3.2% | $44,197 | 0.84 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,594 | 2.5% | $86,756 | 0.49 |
| Educational services | 1,576 | 2.5% | $60,206 | 0.96 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,490 | 2.4% | $35,332 | 1.12 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,486 | 2.4% | $90,823 | 0.48 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,404 | 2.2% | $54,894 | 0.42 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 885 | 1.4% | $43,775 | 1.38 |
| Management of companies | 752 | 1.2% | $136,811 | 0.56 |
| Information | 680 | 1.1% | $79,371 | 0.46 |
| Real estate and rental | 678 | 1.1% | $54,568 | 0.55 |
| Utilities | 141 | 0.2% | $120,106 | 0.47 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 81 | 0.1% | $81,791 | 0.27 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 70.4% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 1.4% |
| Work from home | 19.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $92,241 |
| Income per person | $51,652 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,249 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $413,100 |
| Homeowners | 72.8% |
| Poverty rate | 6.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 101.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $56,960 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.15%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 44.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 43.5% |
| Born abroad | 7.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.9 | 23 | 91 |
| Feb | -4.1 | 25 | 95 |
| Mar | 0.0 | 32 | 105 |
| Apr | 6.1 | 43 | 117 |
| May | 12.0 | 54 | 103 |
| Jun | 17.1 | 63 | 127 |
| Jul | 20.7 | 69 | 101 |
| Aug | 20.5 | 69 | 98 |
| Sep | 16.9 | 62 | 95 |
| Oct | 10.4 | 51 | 140 |
| Nov | 4.3 | 40 | 116 |
| Dec | -1.2 | 30 | 130 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Orchard Beach | ME | 3 mi | 9,244 | $60,050 | $1,246 |
| Oak Hill | ME | 6 mi | 5,631 | $97,610 | $1,743 |
| Biddeford | ME | 6 mi | 22,498 | $72,333 | $1,292 |
| South Portland | ME | 10 mi | 26,930 | $86,838 | $1,812 |
| Gorham | ME | 11 mi | 7,593 | $128,190 | $1,573 |
| Kennebunk | ME | 12 mi | 6,221 | $95,169 | $1,466 |
| Westbrook | ME | 13 mi | 20,775 | $85,038 | $1,392 |
| Portland | ME | 14 mi | 68,854 | $79,540 | $1,577 |
| Sanford | ME | 18 mi | 22,247 | $72,524 | $1,152 |
| North Windham | ME | 21 mi | 5,417 | $88,522 | $1,248 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
20,819 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,249 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$92,241 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.8% (BLS county, York County (latest month 2026M09)).
Maine. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.