Compare towns
Dedham vs Ellsworth vs York
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 homeowners (95.5%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
York has the most people working from home (26%).
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 | York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,657 |
13,986Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
49.5±5.2Highest 10% above ME |
| York and Dedham 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% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.1%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and York 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% |
27.9%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| York and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.3Lowest 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±$18k 49% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
| York and Dedham 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 |
$636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
| York 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 |
$4,658Highest 53% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.5%±10.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and York 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #63 of 133 in ME | #13 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | York Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School | York High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Highest |
9.6Lowest |
| 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.