Compare towns
Dedham vs Ellsworth vs Kennebunk
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).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
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 | Ellsworth | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,657 |
11,820Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth 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% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth 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 |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
| Dedham and Kennebunk 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 |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,425±$290Highest 25% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Dedham 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 |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #63 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Highest |
11.6Lowest |
| 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.