Compare towns
Belfast vs Waterville vs Kennebunk
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 oldest population (median age 60.6).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
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 | Waterville | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986Lowest |
17,077Highest |
11,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
54.6±3.3 22% above ME |
| Belfast and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Waterville 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% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Belfast and Kennebunk 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% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9k 9% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34k 15% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
$1,425±$290Highest 25% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145 37% above ME |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5% ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967 10 yrs older than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 13% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #84 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 71 | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Waterville Senior High School | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
12.8Highest |
11.6 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → |
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.