Compare towns
Dedham vs Kennebunk vs Hope
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 affordable homes ($356k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
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 | Kennebunk | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
11,820Highest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Hope 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% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% ME: 36.2% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Dedham and Kennebunk 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 |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
$86,766±$6kLowest 16% 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±$33kLowest 20% above ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,425±$290Highest 25% above ME |
$1,219±$182Lowest 7% 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 |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Hope and Kennebunk 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Hope 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 | — | #9 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 21 | Hope Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Kennebunk High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.6 |
— |
| 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.