Compare towns
Dover vs Kittery vs West Bath
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
West Bath has the most homeowners (82.3%).
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 | Kittery | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
10,473 |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
54.2±5.6Highest 39% above U.S. |
| West Bath and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Dover and Kittery 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% |
26.9%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.4%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| West Bath and Kittery 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% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
50.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and West Bath 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. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$103,333±$27kHighest 28% above U.S. |
| West Bath and Dover 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. |
$468,500±$31kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$422,800±$102kLowest 27% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,112±$327Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Dover 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. |
$4,518 45% above U.S. |
$3,516Lowest 13% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.1%±26.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Dover and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 14% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
21 min 22% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.1%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Dover 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 | #64 of 120 in NH | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Kittery Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.