Compare towns
Dover vs Lee vs Kittery
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%).
Lee has the most homeowners (95.8%).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Lee | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
4,576Lowest |
10,473 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
42.9±1.9 10% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Lee and Dover 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% |
22.6%±6.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Lee 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% |
50.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Lee 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. |
$131,579±$54kHighest 63% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
| Lee 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±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
$480,600±$61kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
| Lee and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Lowest 14% above U.S. |
— | $1,716±$224Highest 21% above 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 | $8,249 164% above U.S. |
$9,661Highest 210% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.3%±53.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Dover and Kittery 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% |
2.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.6%±8.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Lee and Kittery 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 | #3 of 120 in NH | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dover School District | Oyster River Coop School District | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 10 photos → | 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.