Westbrook receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Biddeford
Westbrook
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs87 · Top 1%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 29%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
48 · Bottom 45%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Biddeford | Westbrook | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,498 | 20,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,333 | $85,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,562 | $44,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 748/sq mi | 1,209/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $396,600 | $383,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,292 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.1% | 61.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.1% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 8.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 109 | 320 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 15.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.4% | 142.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 63 mi | 76 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.02 | 11.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 71.3% | 67.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 79.7% | 73.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.0% | 66.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Biddeford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Westbrook
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Biddeford, ME · Westbrook, ME · How this is calculated: methodology