Compare towns
Dedham vs Kittery vs Surry vs Otis
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).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Otis has the most affordable homes ($283k median).
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 | Kittery | Surry | Otis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
10,473Highest |
1,836 |
705Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 4% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
52.4±5.6 17% above ME |
54.7±3.1Highest 22% above ME |
| Otis and Surry 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% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±7.8 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% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.9%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Kittery 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% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±1.7Lowest 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 |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$74,508±$12kLowest about the ME average |
$101,250±$27k 35% above ME |
| Dedham and Otis 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 |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
$282,500±$23kLowest 5% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
$1,563±$734 37% above ME |
| Kittery and Otis 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 |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,263 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.7%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Kittery 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
7.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
42 minHighest 69% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Surry 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools | Surry Public Schools | Otis Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | 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.