Cost Of Living In Westbrook, ME

Westbrook cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Westbrook	Maine	National
Cost of living index	108	104	100
Index	Westbrook	Maine	National
Goods & Services index	110	110	100
Groceries index	104	104	100
Health care index	108	108	100
Housing index	106	94	100
Transportation index	110	110	100
Utilities index	106	106	100

An overview of the general cost of living index for Westbrook, ME is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Westbrook, ME enjoy a cost of living index of 108. This index is 4% higher than the Maine average, and 8% higher than the national average. The following categories are used when determining the cost of living index for any given city: health care (5%), transportation (9%), utilities (10%), groceries (13%), housing (30%), and goods/services (33%). Clearly, housing and goods/services make up the majority of the formula for calculating the cost of living index. Because of this, the general cost of living for any given area can be estimated by looking at the cost of everyday goods in that area. For those living in Westbrook, ME, the average cost of goods and services is equal to it is in Maine, and it is 10% higher than the national average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Westbrook is 4% higher than the Maine average.
The cost of living in Westbrook is 8% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Westbrook is 6% higher than the national average.
Maine general sales tax is 8% higher than the national average.
Maine state income tax is 100% lower than the national average.

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator allows you to compare how much your current salary in Westbrook, ME would be worth in another city. In other words, the salary calculator will adjust the figure you enter for cost of living so that you can determine how much more or much less you would need to earn while maintaining your current quality of living. If you are considering relocating to a more expensive city than Westbrook, ME, the calculator will tell you how much more you need to earn so you can assess job offers more accurately. The Westbrook, ME salary calculator is easy to use. All you do is enter the name of another city, then move the slider to your current income. After that, the salary calculator will crunch the numbers for you and give you the information you need about the place you are considering going. Additionally, it will show a detailed breakdown of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$63,956	$5,330	$1,492	$1,919
Renters	$22,060	$1,838	$515	$662

A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living is by simply calculating the maximum that a person should spend on housing in Westbrook, ME, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The safest way to live in the city is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income that one earns on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Westbrook, ME has a median income of about $63,956 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a person should spend a maximum of $1,492 on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $22,060. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $515 on all of their rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

Maine Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Maine	5.5%	5.5%

Maine Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Maine	0%	7.95%

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Westbrook, ME is the Maine sales tax and Maine income tax rates. Sales taxes are taxes that are collected on most goods or services sold. Sales taxes can vary by state and can be as high as 7% and as low as 0% as not every state imposes a sales tax. The Maine sales tax rate is 5.5% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 5.5%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by both the federal and state government. The income tax rates varies by individual state and will also be higher or lower depending on the applicable tax bracket. The rates of state income tax can vary from 0% to more than 9%. The Maine income tax rates range from 0% to 7.95%.

Goods & Services

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$18.72	$15.56	20.3%
Beauty Salon	$39.36	$36.11	9.0%
Toothpaste	$4.35	$2.47	75.9%
Shampoo	$0.98	$0.96	1.2%
Movie	$9.50	$10.13	6.2%
Bowling	$4.75	$4.74	0.3%

Groceries

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.69	$3.98	17.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.56	$1.41	10.6%
Milk	$2.21	$2.06	6.9%
Potatoes	$3.74	$2.98	25.5%
Pizza	$8.96	$9.47	5.4%
Beer	$9.99	$8.79	13.6%

Health Care

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$130.33	$101.04	29.0%
Doctor	$130.00	$107.44	21.0%
Dentist	$94.44	$90.42	4.5%
Ibuprofen	$9.66	$9.28	4.1%
Lipitor	$394.99	$426.50	7.4%

Housing

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$196,000.00	$175,700.00	11.6%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,320.58	$1,133.23	16.5%
Apartment Rent	$871.00	$920.00	5.3%

Transportation

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.01	$1.99	0.9%
Tire Balancing	$58.93	$45.76	28.8%

Utilities

Item	Westbrook	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$196.33	$163.81	19.9%
Phone	$24.69	$28.39	13.0%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
South Windham, ME	1,190	101	1%
Little Falls, ME	408	104	4%
Steep Falls, ME	1,245	105	5%
Old Orchard Beach, ME	8,679	107	7%
North Windham, ME	4,573	110	10%
Westbrook, ME	17,662	108	8%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Newburyport, MA	17,662	146	46%
San Carlos Park, FL	17,646	93	-7%
Arcata, CA	17,679	120	20%
Idylwood, VA	17,643	153	53%
St. Matthews, KY	17,686	97	-3%
Westbrook, ME	17,662	108	8%

Source: The Westbrook, ME cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for the fourth quarter of 2016.

Westbrook, ME Cost of Living