CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

43.23° N · 70.80° W · GEOID 2369995

South Berwick

York County, Maine · part of the Portland, ME metro

Limited data population under 5,000

MaineSouth Berwick, MESouth BerwickSouth Berwick

The short answer

South Berwick is home to 3,381 people. Median household income is $90,972 a year and median rent is $1,702 a month, 22.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $396,700, about 4.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,702
25% above the median place
Median household income
$90,972
13% above the median place
Median home value
$396,700
24% above the median place
Unemployment
3.4%
30% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about South Berwick

  • Between the 2020 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 15.5% a year while household income rose 6.5%, so rent outran pay by more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 33 Maine places.
  • 4.8% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 87% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 31 Maine places.
01

Moving to South Berwick

York County gains about 8.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,162
Moved out8,573
Net+1,589

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Maine, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MaineOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$84K
Leavers$70K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of York County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.1% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into York County report $84,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $69,900, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$68,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,702 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,083 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $396,700.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 16.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Northdale, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people6
8.6
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
3.1%
57% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$83,981
19% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.3%8% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.1%57% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure8.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$83,98119% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$69,9101% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 55.7%, 10% above the median place.

South Berwick22.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$68,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.5%
10% above the median place
Home price to income
4.4x
15% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Berwick, $1,702 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like South Berwick, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Lake Lorraine, FL19.1% vs 22.5%$16,700Compare
McFarland, WI17.9% vs 22.5%$12,900Compare
Highland, NY17.5% vs 22.5%$15,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in South Berwick.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Berwick? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
55.7%
10% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$4,523
39% above the median place
Median home value1
$396,700
24% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,70225% above
Rent to income122.5%10% above
Property tax rate11.1%25% above
Home price to income14.4x15% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure101.91% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,79211% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,52339% above
Median home value1$396,70024% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure5.7%78% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure66.6%29% above
Homeownership167.0%1% above
Renters paying 30%+155.7%10% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,08311% above
Vacant homes1County figure20.6%191% above
Median year built119810% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
4.8%
55% below the median place
Mean commute1
29 min
18% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$90,97213% above
Income per person1$47,31118% above
Unemployment1County figure3.4%30% below
Average annual pay5County figure$64,1663% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs5County figure79,60347% below
Poverty rate14.8%55% below
Mean commute129 min18% above
Works from home1County figure16.8%35% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 99.7%, 8% above the median place.

High school or higher1
99.7%
8% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.8%
4% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
47.2%
47% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.3 −8%
Median age41.4 +6%
No health insurance5.5% −14%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,3816646th largest
Median age141.46% above
Bachelor's or higher147.2%47% above
High school or higher199.7%8% above
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad1County figure4.0%55% below
No health insurance15.5%14% below
Homes with broadband195.8%4% above
05

Life in South Berwick

9 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Hamilton, Jonathan, House listed 1970Landmark
  • Jewett, Sarah Orne, House listed 1973Landmark
  • Portsmouth Company Cotton Mills: Counting House listed 1975
  • Berwick Academy listed 1978
  • Jewett-Eastman House listed 1983
  • Conway Junction Railroad Turntable Site listed 1989

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents17.8 +75%
Playgrounds per 10k14.8 +57%
Grocery stores per 10k3.0 +40%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k5.9 −47%
Libraries per 10k11.8 13.6×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.5 7.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars27.1 +30%
Shops37.9 +25%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.8 +41%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.5 −23%
Child care centers4.7 2.0×

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools11
3
67% below the median place
Public school students11
1,348
72% below the median place
Students per teacher11
13.1
15% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11367% below
Public school students111,34872% below
Students per teacher1113.115% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure27.130% above
Shops per 10k7County figure37.925% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure5.841% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure15.523% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure4.7104% above
Parks per 10k817.875% above
Playgrounds per 10k814.857% above
Grocery stores per 10k83.040% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k85.947% below
Libraries per 10k811.8above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi81.5above (median 0.2)
National Register listings9931% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 51, 74% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
51
74% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
366
70% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Good air days14
96.7%
41% above the median place
Median air quality index14
34
21% below the median place
January average low12
13°F
50% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSouth BerwickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure81°F7% below
January average low12County figure13°F50% below
Average temperature12County figure46°F16% below
Annual precipitation12County figure49.0 in12% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure81.512% below
Hurricane risk13County figure91.530% above
Tornado risk13County figure46.543% below
Wildfire risk13County figure56.38% below
Heat wave risk13County figure52.841% below
Median air quality index14County figure3421% below
Good air days14County figure96.7%41% above
08

South Berwick in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, up from 22% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,702/mo (2024)$2,270/mo$1,860 to $2,770/mo+4.9%
Median household income$90,972 (2024)$115,500$97,500 to $136,500+4.1%
Median home value$396,700 (2024)$580,000$421,000 to $800,000+6.5%

The median home would be worth 5.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like South Berwick

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Northdale, FL$1,797$94,926Compare
Reisterstown, MD$1,600$85,543Compare
Bloomington, MN$1,561$93,211Compare
Georgetown, TX$1,795$95,062Compare
Georgetown, TXBloomington, MNReisterstown, MDNorthdale, FLSouth Berwick, MESouth BerwickNorthdaleReisterstownBloomingtonGeorgetownSouth BerwickNorthdaleReisterstownBloomingtonGeorgetown

Common questions

Is South Berwick a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2020 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 15.5% a year while household income rose 6.5%, so rent outran pay by more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 33 Maine places. 4.8% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 87% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 31 Maine places. On cost, space and class size it scores 56 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Berwick expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $396,700.

What salary do you need to live in South Berwick?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $68,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is South Berwick safe?

There were 51 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to South Berwick?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Northdale, FL, Reisterstown, MD, Bloomington, MN and Georgetown, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares South Berwick with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for South Berwick itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/south-berwick-maine

Citytistics. “South Berwick, Maine.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-berwick-maine/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.