Compare towns
Gardiner vs Mapleton vs Kittery vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the oldest housing (typical home built 1944).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Kittery has the most expensive homes ($469k median).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Gardiner | Mapleton | Kittery | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,088 |
1,884Lowest |
10,473Highest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6 6% below ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Kittery and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 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+ | 29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Kittery and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742 10% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest 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 | 10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | — | #17 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Kittery Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8 |
— | 9.9Lowest |
12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.