West Bayside median real estate price is $929,910, which is more expensive than 84.7% of the neighborhoods in Maine and 79.3% of the neighborhoods in the U.S.
The average rental price in West Bayside is currently $2,549, based on NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis. The average rental cost in this neighborhood is higher than 86.4% of the neighborhoods in Maine.
West Bayside is a densely urban neighborhood (based on population density) located in Portland, Maine.
West Bayside real estate is primarily made up of small (studio to two bedroom) to medium sized (three or four bedroom) apartment complexes/high-rise apartments and small apartment buildings. Most of the residential real estate is renter occupied. Many of the residences in the West Bayside neighborhood are relatively historic, built no later than 1939, and in some cases, quite a bit earlier. A number of residences were also built between 2000 and the present.
Real estate vacancies in West Bayside are 4.7%, which is lower than one will find in 68.3% of American neighborhoods. Demand for real estate in West Bayside is above average for the U.S., and may signal some demand for either price increases or new construction of residential product for this neighborhood.
When you see a neighborhood for the first time, the most important thing is often the way it looks, like its homes and its setting. Some places look the same, but they only reveal their true character after living in them for a while because they contain a unique mix of occupational or cultural groups. This neighborhood is very unique in some important ways, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive exploration and analysis.
Modes of Transportation
In the West Bayside neighborhood, walking to work is a real option for many. In fact, NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research reveals walking to and from work is the chosen way to commute for 24.5% of residents here. This is a higher proportion of walking commuters than we found in 98.7% of American neighborhoods. Get ready to put on your walking shoes if you move here!
Real Estate
The West Bayside neighborhood is very unique in that it has one of the highest proportions of one, two, or no bedroom real estate of any neighborhood in America. Most neighborhoods have a mixture of home or apartment sizes from small to large, but here the concentration of studios and other small living spaces is at near-record heights. With 90.5% of the real estate here of this small size, this most assuredly is a notable feature that makes this neighborhood unique, along with just a handful of other neighborhoods in the U.S. that share this characteristic.
In addition, even if you drive or take transit to your place of employment, many people enjoy being able to walk in their neighborhood. What many people don't realize is that most of America's premier vacation locations are also very walkable. The West Bayside neighborhood is among the top 5% of American neighborhoods in terms of walkability.
Furthermore, the real estate in the West Bayside neighborhood really stands out in the way it looks for a unique reason: this neighborhood has a higher proportion of apartment complexes or high-rise apartments than nearly every neighborhood in the country. Most neighborhoods are a mixture of real estate and housing types, but here it is almost entirely dominated by big apartment buildings and complexes. In fact, 72.1% of the real estate here is classified as apartment complexes or high-rise apartments, which is more than is found in 95.4% of American neighborhoods.
Also of note, renter-occupied real estate is dominant in the West Bayside neighborhood. The percentage of rental real estate here, according to exclusive NeighborhoodScout analysis, is 85.2%, which is higher than 95.4% of the neighborhoods in America. If you were to buy and live in the property you bought here, you would be almost alone in doing so.
Finally, do you watch 'This Old House' on Public Television? Do you love the idea of fixing up a Colonial or Victorian era home, complete with the charm of yesteryear? Do you like to stroll or drive streets lined with gracious older residences? If you found yourself nodding yes to any of these questions, you are going to be interested in this unique neighborhood. The West Bayside neighborhood stands out on a national scale for the sheer concentration of historic residences it contains: 54.7% of the residential real estate here was built from 1939 or earlier, some much earlier. This is a greater concentration of historic homes than 95.1% of the neighborhoods in the United States.
People
The types of households in a neighborhood can tell a lot about the character and lifestyle of those living here. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood, above nearly every neighborhood in America, has a greater percentage of its residents living alone: 52.1%. This is a higher percent living alone than we found in 96.7% of all U.S. neighborhoods. Often residents who live alone are new arrivals to an area who are single, and often senior citizens who have lost a spouse.
In addition, the West Bayside neighborhood stands out within Maine for its college student friendly environment. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals that this neighborhood is home to a number of college students, is relatively walkable, and above average in safety. In combination, this makes it stand out for a good place for college students to consider. Because a number of college students live here, this neighborhood may be close to a college campus and offer certain amenities nearby geared towards the student body. While it's not an environment for everyone, ambitious scholars can enjoy seasonal excitement between semesters and school breaks, and parents can rest easy knowing that the area has an above average safety rating. For each of these reasons, the neighborhood is rated among the top 6.3% of college-friendly places to live in ME. In addition to being an excellent choice for college students, this neighborhood is also a very good choice for young, single professionals.
Diversity
Did you know that the West Bayside neighborhood has more Sub-Saharan African and Scottish ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 17.0% of this neighborhood's residents have Sub-Saharan African ancestry and 6.1% have Scottish ancestry.
West Bayside is also pretty special linguistically. Significantly, 7.1% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak African languages at home. While this may seem like a small percentage, it is higher than 99.3% of the neighborhoods in America.
There are two complementary measures for understanding the income of a neighborhood's residents: the average and the extremes. While a neighborhood may be relatively wealthy overall, it is equally important to understand the rate of people - particularly children - who are living at or below the federal poverty line, which is extremely low income. Some neighborhoods with a lower average income may actually have a lower childhood poverty rate than another with a higher average income, and this helps us understand the conditions and character of a neighborhood.
The neighbors in the West Bayside neighborhood in Portland are lower-middle income, making it a below average income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's research shows that this neighborhood has an income lower than 79.6% of U.S. neighborhoods. With 14.6% of the children here below the federal poverty line, this neighborhood has a higher rate of childhood poverty than 59.5% of U.S. neighborhoods.
What we choose to do for a living reflects who we are. Each neighborhood has a different mix of occupations represented, and together these tell you about the neighborhood and help you understand if this neighborhood may fit your lifestyle.
In the West Bayside neighborhood, 40.5% of the working population is employed in executive, management, and professional occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants, with 36.9% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in manufacturing and laborer occupations (15.3%), and 7.3% in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations.
Languages
The languages spoken by people in this neighborhood are diverse. These are tabulated as the languages people preferentially speak when they are at home with their families. The most common language spoken in the West Bayside neighborhood is English, spoken by 77.1% of households. Other important languages spoken here include African languages, French and Polish.
Ethnicity / Ancestry
Boston's Beacon Hill blue-blood streets, Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish enclaves, Los Angeles' Persian neighborhoods. Each has its own culture derived primarily from the ancestries and culture of the residents who call these neighborhoods home. Likewise, each neighborhood in America has its own culture – some more unique than others – based on lifestyle, occupations, the types of households – and importantly – on the ethnicities and ancestries of the people who live in the neighborhood. Understanding where people came from, who their grandparents or great-grandparents were, can help you understand how a neighborhood is today.
In the West Bayside neighborhood in Portland, ME, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Irish (17.9%). There are also a number of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry (17.0%), and residents who report English roots (8.8%), and some of the residents are also of Italian ancestry (8.1%), along with some French ancestry residents (7.3%), among others. In addition, 16.4% of the residents of this neighborhood were born in another country.
How you get to work – car, bus, train or other means – and how much of your day it takes to do so is a large quality of life and financial issue. Especially with gasoline prices rising and expected to continue doing so, the length and means of one's commute can be a financial burden. Some neighborhoods are physically located so that many residents have to drive in their own car, others are set up so many walk to work, or can take a train, bus, or bike. The greatest number of commuters in West Bayside neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (53.9% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.
Here most residents (48.3%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In addition, quite a number also hop out the door and walk to work to get to work (24.5%) and 6.5% of residents also ride the bus for their daily commute. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.
