Compare towns
Bath vs Bow vs Kennebunk vs Kittery
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Bath | Bow | Kennebunk | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,335Lowest |
11,820Highest |
10,473 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
54.6±3.3Highest 40% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±3 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kennebunk and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
51.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$107,804±$8k 34% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14k 16% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$487,700±$21k 47% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
| Bow and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$1,425±$290 about the U.S. average |
$1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,999 60% above U.S. |
$4,518 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bath and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1965 15 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
27 min about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
32.5%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kennebunk and Bow 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #26 of 120 in NH | #9 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Bow School District | RSU 21 | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Bow High School | Kennebunk High School | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.8 |
11.6 |
9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.