Compare towns
Belfast vs Kennebunk vs Mapleton vs Boothbay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belfast has the most renters (31.5% rent).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 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 | Belfast | Kennebunk | Mapleton | Boothbay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,986 |
11,820Highest |
1,884Lowest |
3,102 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
54.6±3.3 22% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
56.8±3.9 27% above ME |
| Belfast and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.4%±7.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Belfast and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9% ME: 36.2% |
51.2% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Boothbay and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9k 9% below ME |
$107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Kennebunk and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34k 15% above ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$342,100±$43k 15% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92 16% below ME |
$1,425±$290Highest 25% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,147±$121 about the ME average |
| Kennebunk and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145 37% above ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,202 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31 ME: 48.4% |
| Belfast and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
78.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 13% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6 ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #84 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 21 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Kennebunk High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
11.6Highest |
— | — |
| 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.