Compare towns
Brunswick vs Starks vs Westbrook
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brunswick has the most people working from home (18%).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
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 | Brunswick | Starks | Westbrook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,652 |
556Lowest |
20,775Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+16.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.9±2.2 15% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
37.4±1Lowest 17% below ME |
| Starks and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
18.5%±2.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Westbrook and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
18.1%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
9%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
$63,500±$8kLowest 15% below ME |
$85,038±$7kHighest 14% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$383,300±$19kHighest 29% above ME |
| Westbrook and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,063±$301Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,392±$74 22% above ME |
| Brunswick and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$4,005 32% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
46.1%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Westbrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.6% ME: 10.7% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.3% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 18%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | — | #115 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | — | Westbrook Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | — | Westbrook High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.0 |
| 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.