Compare towns
Bow 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
Bow has the most kids (25% under 18).
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 | Bow | Kittery | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Lowest |
10,473 |
22,545Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.9±2 10% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Portsmouth 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% |
14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
14%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.9%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Portsmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
64%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Kittery 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. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$106,219±$7k 32% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31kLowest 41% above U.S. |
$688,500±$39kHighest 107% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 9% above 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 | $9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$8,018 157% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.4%±7.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Portsmouth and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1965 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #26 of 120 in NH | #17 of 133 in ME | #11 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Kittery Public Schools | Portsmouth School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Robert W Traip Academy | Portsmouth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
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.