Compare towns
Dedham vs Eliot vs Kittery vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most kids (23.8% under 18).
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k median).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
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 | Dedham | Eliot | Kittery | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
7,146 |
10,473Highest |
1,836 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 4% above ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
| Surry and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
38.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Kittery and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$74,508±$12kLowest about the ME average |
| Dedham and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$468,500±$31k 58% above ME |
$296,300±$36kLowest about the ME average |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,716±$224 51% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 30% above ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$4,518 49% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Eliot 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 | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Kittery Public Schools | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.