Compare towns
Bath vs Buxton vs Kittery vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Buxton has the most homeowners (80.3%).
Kittery has the most expensive homes ($469k median).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Buxton | Kittery | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,512 |
10,473Highest |
6,727Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kittery and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Hermon 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 7% below ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
| Buxton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,613±$266 42% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
| Kittery and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Bath 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 | #104 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Kittery Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
14.6 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.