Compare towns
Amesbury vs Kittery vs Nelson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amesbury has the most expensive homes ($519k median).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
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 | Amesbury | Kittery | Nelson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,403Highest |
10,473 |
648Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±1.7 12% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Nelson and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,554±$12kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$99,792±$23k 24% above U.S. |
| Amesbury and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,300±$32kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$340,900±$49kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Amesbury and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,683±$115 19% above U.S. |
$1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,203±$243Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,360Highest 136% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$5,575 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±10.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Amesbury and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 10% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Nelson and Kittery 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 | #151 of 282 in MA | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Amesbury | Kittery Public Schools | Nelson School District |
| High school in town | Amesbury High | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.