Compare towns

Scarborough vs Brunswick

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Scarborough has the highest household income ($134k).
Brunswick has the most affordable homes ($363k median).

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.

MeasureScarboroughBrunswick
People
Population
23,215Highest
17,652Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+17%Highest
ME: +2.6%
+12.2%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
48.8±2.7Highest
9% above ME
37.9±2.2Lowest
15% below ME
Kids under 18
16.6%±2Highest
ME: 18.1%
16.1%±2.5Lowest
ME: 18.1%
Scarborough and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
24.7%±2.4Highest
ME: 22.4%
23%±2.4Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Scarborough and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
57.7%Highest
ME: 36.2%
51.3%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.7%±1.3Lowest
ME: 5.8%
15.4%±1.2Highest
ME: 5.8%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$133,558±$21kHighest
79% above ME
$70,722±$5kLowest
5% below ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$551,900±$39kHighest
86% above ME
$363,200±$18kLowest
22% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,956±$178Highest
72% above ME
$1,465±$100Lowest
29% above ME
Property taxmedian, yearly
$5,978Highest
97% above ME
$4,477Lowest
47% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
51.9%±13.1Lowest
ME: 48.4%
58.8%±9.2Highest
ME: 48.4%
Brunswick and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
4.4%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
8.6%Highest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
77.4%Highest
ME: 74.3%
66.3%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1988Highest
11 yrs newer than ME
1977Lowest
same as ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
19 minLowest
21% below ME
23 minHighest
7% below ME
Work from home
24.6%±4.2Highest
ME: 15.9%
18%±4.2Lowest
ME: 15.9%
Scarborough and Brunswick 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 #35 of 133 in ME #30 of 133 in ME
School district Scarborough Public Schools —
High school in town Scarborough High School —
Students per teacherat that high school
11.0
—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story 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.