Compare towns
Arundel vs Kennebunk vs North Berwick vs New Gloucester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arundel has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
North Berwick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
New Gloucester has the most affordable homes ($357k 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.
| Measure | Arundel | Kennebunk | North Berwick | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 4,418Lowest |
11,820Highest |
5,129 |
5,766 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.9±6.4 9% below ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
41.6±4.7 7% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and North Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.9%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.9%±5 ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.4% ME: 36.2% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| North Berwick and Arundel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $101,597±$17kLowest 36% above ME |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
$101,875±$16k 36% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $421,300±$62k 42% above ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$428,500±$33k 44% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$495Highest 41% above ME |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
$1,105±$116Lowest about the ME average |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Arundel and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,763 24% above ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$3,735 23% above ME |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.2%±22.7 ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
66.2%±28.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| North Berwick and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.9% ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.4% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.2% ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 7%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #7 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #82 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | RSU 21 | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | None in town | Kennebunk High School | Noble High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.6Lowest |
12.0Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 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.