Compare towns
Cornish vs Eliot vs Kennebunk vs Kittery
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
Kittery has the most renters (32.8% rent).
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 | Cornish | Eliot | Kennebunk | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
7,146 |
11,820Highest |
10,473 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3 39% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
54.6±3.3Highest 40% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
| Kennebunk and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±3Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Kennebunk and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
30%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kennebunk and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
51.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2kLowest 14% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$107,804±$8kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14k 16% above U.S. |
| Kennebunk and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$487,700±$21k 47% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 14% below U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,425±$290 about the U.S. average |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Highest 86% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$4,999 60% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
32.5%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kennebunk and Kittery 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Cornish School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 21 | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Kennebunk High School | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6Highest |
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.