¶ … Maine: Amenities & Competitiveness A Comparative View of Scarborough: Amenities & Competitiveness

The town of Scarborough is located in Cumberland County on the southern coast of Maine. The town is a coastal resort area. It is located about 7 miles south of Portland. Scarborough is part of the Portland -- South Portland -- Biddeford metropolitan area (About our town, n.d.). With a resident population of just under twenty thousand, Scarborough is the tenth largest city in Maine and the third largest in Cumberland County (American fact finder, 2012).

Comparative Fiscal Analysis of Scarborough, Maine

"The settlement of Scarborough was one of the earliest made on the New England coast. The town was incorporated in 1658 and was named for Scarborough, England. It included the lands of Black Point, Blue Point, and Stratton's Island and extended back eight miles from the sea. These boundaries have changed almost every century" (About our town, n.d.). By October, 1676 Scarborough, was a town consisting of three settlements with more than one hundred houses and one thousand head of cattle that had all been ruined. Some of the settlers had been killed while others were taken captive by Native Americans. These remaining people tried over and over again to reconstruct but peace was not possible. In 1690, the town was deserted due to Native American uprisings, with people moving to Portsmouth and other settlements that were further south. The second settlement of Scarborough is thought to have begun in...

It has a lot to offer including sandy beaches and the rocky coastline that has been made famous Winslow Homer, a local artist. The biggest saltwater marsh in Maine is positioned within the boundaries along with Rachel Carson Wildlife lands. "Scarborough is a suburban community that offers open spaces, parks and recreational areas for its residents and visitors. The newest area for businesses to locate in Scarborough is along the Haigis Parkway, located right at Exit 6 off the Maine Turnpike" (About our town, n.d.).
A reference set approach may be used to gauge Scarborough's livability, attractiveness and competitiveness relative to other Maine cities and towns that contend with it for business and residential location. These towns include nearby neighbors like South Portland, Brunswick and Cape Elizabeth, as well as other communities around the state that may appeal to businesses or residents. While it is difficult to define and measure precisely community characteristics that may make it attractive to businesses and households, a significant amount of research is revealing factors that matter. For the purposes of this analysis, Scarborough's competitive reference set includes Auburn, Bangor, Biddeford, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Within Scarborough there is a Higgins Beach, Scarborough…