Saco and Westbrook receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Saco
Westbrook
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs87 · Top 1%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 45%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
91 · Top 3%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Saco | Westbrook | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,819 | 20,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,241 | $85,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,652 | $44,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 540/sq mi | 1,209/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $413,100 | $383,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,249 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.8% | 61.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.5% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.4% | 8.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 320 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 15.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.9% | 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 | 66 mi | 76 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.84 | 11.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 88.6% | 67.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 89.4% | 73.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.4% | 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
Saco
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Westbrook
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Saco, ME · Westbrook, ME · How this is calculated: methodology