Westbrook receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Westbrook
Portland
Opportunity
79 · Top 9%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
87 · Top 1%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 6%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs38 · Bottom 33%
Access
52 · Bottom 4%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
74 · Top 19%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Westbrook | Portland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,775 | 68,854 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,038 | $79,540 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,851 | $52,781 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,209/sq mi | 3,197/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $383,300 | $489,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,392 | $1,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 46.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 59.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 320 | 812 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.4 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 142.4% | 124.9% | 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 | 76 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.5 min | 20.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.02 | 11.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 67.2% | 69.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 73.5% | 79.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.2% | 54.2% | 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
Westbrook
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Portland
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Westbrook, ME · Portland, ME · How this is calculated: methodology