Sanford, Maine Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sanford, ME Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,248 | 1,387,521 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 456.3 | 39.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.80% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 43.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,629 | 597,020 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sanford grew by 4.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,248 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sanford is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.6% of residents. That is 0.6 points above Maine as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,032 18.1% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,870 21.9% +1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,033 22.6% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,044 18.2% -3.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maine, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Sanford and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Maine 50.9%
- Men 48.3% Maine 49.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sanford
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Economy
Sanford has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,185 | $74,723 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.91% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sanford is about 1% lower than in Maine.
Housing
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $303,569 | $261,367 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,151 | $1,139 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 74.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sanford is about 22.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,151 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sanford spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 222 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.6 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 222 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,868 | $5,372 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,323 | 4,904 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,577 | 1,015 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Sanford is 27 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Maine.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Sanford has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 31.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.25 | 2.53 |
Health
Sanford has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Sanford | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.0% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sanford, Maine.
How big is Sanford, Maine by population?
About 22,248 people live in Sanford, Maine, in 9,629 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Sanford, Maine mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sanford, Maine has 456 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Sanford, Maine?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($303,569 against $74,185), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,151 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Sanford, Maine?
Unemployment in Sanford, Maine is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Sanford, Maine?
21.0% of adults in Sanford, Maine hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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