Westbrook receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sanford
Westbrook
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs87 · Top 1%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
43 · Bottom 38%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
62 · Top 48%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Sanford | Westbrook | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,247 | 20,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,524 | $85,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,027 | $44,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 466/sq mi | 1,209/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $280,200 | $383,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,152 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.2% | 61.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 8.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 63 | 320 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 15.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.2% | 142.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.2" | 48.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 76 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.1 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.89 | 11.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 76.8% | 67.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 76.5% | 73.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.6% | 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
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Westbrook
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Sanford, ME · Westbrook, ME · How this is calculated: methodology