Compare towns
Brewer vs Wayne vs Westbrook
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Westbrook has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.6%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Brewer | Wayne | Westbrook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652 |
1,101Lowest |
20,775Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+16.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
37.4±1Lowest 17% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.5%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.1%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
41.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
9%±2.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Westbrook and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$85,038±$7k 14% above ME |
| Wayne and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
$383,300±$19kHighest 29% above ME |
| Westbrook and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,392±$74Highest 22% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$4,005Highest 32% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
46.1%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
61.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #115 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 38 | Westbrook Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Westbrook High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 12.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.