Compare towns
Dover vs Gray vs Kennebunk vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | Dover | Gray | Kennebunk | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
8,429 |
6,221Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
54.3±7.2Highest 40% above U.S. |
53.6±3.8 38% above U.S. |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.1%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
18%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Gray and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
30.9%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
31%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Wells and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
52%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7k 17% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$95,169±$21k 18% above U.S. |
$88,024±$11kLowest 9% above U.S. |
| Gray and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$452,800±$17k 36% above U.S. |
$485,300±$23kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Wells and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S. |
$1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,466±$261 4% above U.S. |
$1,350±$297Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Dover and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
$3,683 18% above U.S. |
$4,771 53% above U.S. |
$3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.1%±19.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
28 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
36.6%±10.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±4.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #64 of 120 in NH | #10 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dover School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
12.5 |
— | 11.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.