Compare towns
Bow vs Eliot vs Kittery vs Auburn
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the most kids (25% under 18).
Eliot has the oldest population (median age 50.8).
Kittery has the most renters (32.8% rent).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
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 | Bow | Eliot | Kittery | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
7,146 |
10,473Highest |
6,119Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+20%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
44.3±5.9 14% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.3%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
13.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.2%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Auburn and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$153,253±$6k 90% above U.S. |
| Bow and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31kLowest 41% above U.S. |
$600,300±$29kHighest 80% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$1,893±$822 34% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$8,092 159% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±27Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
26.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Auburn and Bow 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | #44 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Kittery Public Schools | Auburn School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.