Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Kittery vs Dedham vs Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k 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 | Ellsworth | Kittery | Dedham | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
10,473Highest |
1,656Lowest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Kittery and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3% ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
| Dedham and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Kittery and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262 7% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,942 30% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Gardiner 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | — | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— | 11.8 |
| 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.