Compare towns
Biddeford vs Dayton vs Kittery
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Biddeford has the most renters (51.9% rent).
Dayton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
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 | Biddeford | Dayton | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,498Highest |
2,313Lowest |
10,473 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35±2.6Lowest 22% below ME |
42.1±5.5 6% below ME |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
| Kittery and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Biddeford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,333±$4kLowest 3% below ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
| Dayton and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $396,600±$25kLowest 34% above ME |
$398,200±$34k 34% above ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$100 13% above ME |
$1,215±$867Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,401 45% above ME |
$3,872Lowest 28% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Kittery and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Dayton 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 | #111 of 133 in ME | — | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools | Dayton Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | Biddeford High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.1Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.