Saco now has 18,482 residents, up from 16,822 a decade ago. In the last 10 years the City added more new residents and more new dwellings than any other municipality in York County. The City added 1,660 persons and 1,084 housing units from April 2000 to April 2010. That's a 10% increase in population and 15% increase in the number of dwelling units. The City retains its position as the state's eleventh largest city.

Saco's 10% population growth was the exception among York County's larger towns and cities. Biddeford grew by 2%; Kennebunk, 3%; and Wells, 2%. Several towns actually lost population in the decade, including Old Orchard Beach, -3%; Kennebunkport, -7%; Kittery, -1%; Ogunquit, -27%; and York, -3%. Sanford lost 8 persons and held steady as a percentage. Ogunquit grew at a 26% rate and York grew at a 34% rate in the 1990s. The reason for the reversal in those two previously fast growing towns is unclear.

Several nearby large towns in Cumberland County grew more rapidly than Saco. Scarborough grew 11.5%; Windham, 14%; and Gorham, 15.8%; Cumberland County's older cities grew as follows: Westbrook, 8.4%; South Portland, 7.2%; and Portland, 3%. Brunswick's population declined 4.2%, perhaps because of the base closure. Cumberland County's overall growth was 6%. York County's was 5.6%, and the state of Maine's, 4.2%.

Many smaller towns grew at high rates including Alfred, 21%; Limerick, 29%; Parsonsfield, 20%; and Waterboro, 24%. Waterboro has nearly doubled in population with 71% growth over the past two decades, from 4,510 to 7,693. Likewise, nearby Dayton grew 64% over 20 years, and it's population went from 1,197 to 1,965.

Saco added the most people over the two decade period, 3,301, but Waterboro was a close second with 3,183. The Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission calculates that the City's growth rate was just below 1% annually in the past decade, and just above 1% in the previous decade. It was significantly faster in the 1980s when the city's population grew 17%.

The U.S. Census released Maine population figures on Thursday, March 24, 2011. This round of numbers provides only city wide data. More detailed tract and block data will be released in late summer. This Census data release is designed to meet the constitutional requirement for redistricting the U.S. House of Representatives. The state's legislative redistricting and the adjustment of local ward boundaries await further data from the Census. The data released so far does not give a detailed picture of the city and its neighborhoods, but it does provide some limited information on age, housing, and minority population when compared with previous Census data.

Age
The Census indicates that there are fewer young people in the City, both on an absolute basis and as a percentage. There are now 4,148 people under 18 years of age. There were 4,201 persons under 18 years 10 years ago. The percentage of people under 18 dropped from 25% to 22.4%. While that is the extent of 2010 Census data on age, a 2005-20009 Census survey indicates that the median age is 39.8 years and that 14 percent of Saco residents are 65 years and older. That survey also indicates the local population is 53% female and 47% male.

Housing and Housing Vacancy
The 2010 Census so far has released just three numbers on housing. The number of dwelling units in Saco now stands at 8508. The number of vacant dwelling units is 885. The Census calculates a vacancy rate of 89.6%. In the 2000 Census, a 7424 housing units were counted and 623 were vacant, for a vacancy rate of 91.6%. That's 1084 new units or a 15% increase. The 2000 Census was taken at a time of housing lull, while this Census was taken at the time of major housing recession. A higher percentage of houses are remaining on the market for a longer time in the past two years, and apartment vacancies are elevated. (These numbers do not include 366 seasonal dwellings which were counted in 2000 and whatever number of seasonals exist now.)

Minority population
The 2010 data has 17,693 of 18,482 residents (96.6%) calling themselves white only. (The remaining 3.4% minority population includes white Hispanics, under Census methodology.) This is a small increase in minority population. The 2000 data has 16,470 of 16,822 residents (97.9%) calling themselves white only. The remaining 2.1% include white Hispanics. Saco's percentage of minority population is close to York County's 3.6% minority population, but well below Cumberland County's 7.2%, and low compared to the nation.

Most of the numbers above were analyzed by city and SMRPC staff from the 2010 actual US Census count. In addition to the actual Census, the US Census does survey and estimating work. On December 10, 2010, the Census released the results of its 2005 to 2009 Maine survey work and automatically generated narrative summaries of some the characteristics of the population for Maine's larger towns and cities. A portion of the Census' "Narrative Profile: 2005-2009" for Saco follows. Remember, the numbers below are based on survey work, not actual counts.

-Peter Morelli HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES: In 2005-2009 there were 7,400 households in Saco city. The average household size was 2.4 people. Families made up 66 percent of the households in Saco city. This figure includes both married-couple families (53 percent) and other families (13 percent). Nonfamily households made up 34 percent of all households in Saco city. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some were composed of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder.

NATIVITY AND LANGUAGE: Four percent of the people living in Saco city in 2005-2009 were foreign born. Ninety-six percent was native, including 64 percent who were born in Maine. Among people at least five years old living in Saco city in 2005-2009, 13 percent spoke a language other than English at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 5 percent spoke Spanish and 95 percent spoke some other language; 29 percent reported that they did not speak English "very well."

GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY: In 2005-2009, 90 percent of the people at least one year old living in Saco city were living in the same residence one year earlier; 5 percent had moved during the past year from another residence in the same county, 4 percent from another county in the same state, 1 percent from another state, and less than 0.5 percent from abroad.

EDUCATION:
In 2005-2009, 91 percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 28 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Nine percent were dropouts; they were not enrolled in school and had not graduated from high school. The total school enrollment in Saco city was 4,500 in 2005-2009. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 510 and elementary or high school enrollment was 2,900 children. College or graduate school enrollment was 1,100.

OCCUPATIONS AND TYPE OF EMPLOYER: Among the most common occupations were: Management, professional, and related occupations, 38 percent; Sales and office occupations, 25 percent; Service occupations, 18 percent; Production, transportation, and material moving occupations, 11 percent; and Construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations, 7 percent. Seventy-nine percent of the people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 13 percent was Federal, state, or local government workers; and 8 percent was Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers.

TRAVEL TO WORK: Eighty-one percent of Saco city workers drove to work alone in 2005-2009, 9 percent carpooled, 1 percent took public transportation, and 3 percent used other means. The remaining 6 percent worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 22.7 minutes to get to work.

INCOME: The median income of households in Saco city was $54,175. Eighty percent of the households received earnings and 20 percent received retirement income other than Social Security. Twenty-eight percent of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $13,455. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

POVERTY AND PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: In 2005-2009, 9 percent of people were in poverty. Fifteen percent of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8 percent of people 65 years old and over. Eight percent of all families and 36 percent of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level.

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS: Of Saco's total housing units, 64 percent were in single-unit structures, 32 percent were in multi-unit structures, and 4 percent were mobile homes. Twenty-two percent of the housing units were built since 1990.

OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT CHARACTERISTICS: In 2005-2009, Saco city had 7,400 occupied housing units - 5,400 (72 percent) owner occupied and 2,100 (28 percent) renter occupied. Two percent of the households did not have telephone service and 4 percent of the households did not have access to a car, truck, or van for private use. Forty-four percent had two vehicles and another 19 percent had three or more.

HOUSING COSTS: The median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $1,566, nonmortgaged owners $524, and renters $766. Thirty-six percent of owners with mortgages, 21 percent of owners without mortgages, and 39 percent of renters in Saco city spent 30 percent or more of household income on housing.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey