City safety & data profile

SanfordME

Sanford, ME is a 21K-resident city in York County with a median household income of $72,524.

York County, Maine. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Sanford, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Sanford has a population larger than 47% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $280,200.

Data updated 2026-07-20

21K
Population
Top 53%
By size
$72,524
Median income
$280,200
Median home
10.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Sanford

Sanford posts a median household income higher than 40% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 60%
by median income, US cities

Where Sanford income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$72,524 Bottom 40% higher than 40% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. ME $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Sanford, ME beyond the headline numbers

Sanford sits inside York County, Maine, at roughly 43.44°N, -70.77°W. Population 20,893, $72,524 median household income. Median home value $280,200, median rent $1,152. Poverty rate 10.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Sanford's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 35.6%, then obesity at 35.5%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Sanford from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
20,893
Sanford
Median Income
$72,524
+7% vs avg
Median Home Value
$280,200
+23% vs avg
Median Age
42.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (York County) - Sanford's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
217K+9%
Median Income
$88,333+54%
Median Home Value
$395,700+74%
Poverty Rate
7.7%-19%
Unemployment
3.4%-52%

Economics

Economics indicators for Sanford, ME
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,152/mo
Poverty Rate
10.3% -27% vs avg
Unemployment 3.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 24.8%
Work From Home 9.8%
Public Transit 1.7%

Population

White 89.5%
African American 1.3%
Asian 2.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
35.6%
Obesity
35.5%
Short Sleep Duration
33.1%
Physical Inactivity
24.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.4%
Current Smoking
17.1%
Binge Drinking
17%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.8%
Current Asthma
13.6%
Diabetes
11.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 60.3%
Annual Checkup 79.4%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.4%
Stroke
3.7%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Sanford, ME? ▼
Sanford, ME has a population of 20,893 people, located in York County, Maine.
What is the median household income in Sanford? ▼
The median household income in Sanford, ME is $72,524 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 10.3%.
What is the median home value in Sanford? ▼
The median home value in Sanford, ME is $280,200. Median rent is $1,152/month.
What are the top health concerns in Sanford? ▼
The top health indicators in Sanford include High Blood Pressure (35.6%), Obesity (35.5%), Short Sleep Duration (33.1%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Sanford? ▼
The median age in Sanford, ME is 42.1 years. 24.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Sanford, ME is located in York County, Maine. With a population of 21K and a $72,524 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Safety alerts for the Sanford area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Maine

Real-time AQI for every monitored Maine location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Somersworth, NH 12K Wells Beach Station, ME 10K Rochester, NH 30K Dover, NH 31K York Beach, ME 13K Biddeford, ME 21K Saco, ME 19K Durham, NH 10K
All cities in Maine → Compare Sanford vs Somersworth → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Sanford's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Sanford area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Sanford against Maine peers on any ranking lens. Explore Maine

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (York County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.