Compare towns
Bath vs Kittery vs Portsmouth
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).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Portsmouth has the most expensive homes ($689k 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 | Bath | Kittery | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
10,473 |
22,545Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.9±2Lowest 10% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
14%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bath and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
64%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bath and Kittery 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. |
$93,728±$14k 16% above U.S. |
$106,219±$7kHighest 32% above U.S. |
| Portsmouth and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$688,500±$39kHighest 107% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$1,869±$111Highest 32% above U.S. |
| Portsmouth and Kittery 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. |
$4,518 45% above U.S. |
$8,018Highest 157% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bath and Portsmouth 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% |
6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1965Highest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 9% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Portsmouth 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 | #17 of 133 in ME | #11 of 120 in NH |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Kittery Public Schools | Portsmouth School District |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Robert W Traip Academy | Portsmouth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
9.9Lowest |
11.4 |
| 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.