Compare towns
Hanover 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
Hanover has the highest household income ($170k).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Hanover | Kennebunk | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,685 |
6,221Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 28.7±5.1Lowest 26% below 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 | 14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.1%±4.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±2.8Lowest 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+ | 88.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
52% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 36.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $169,583±$36kHighest 110% above U.S. |
$95,169±$21k 18% above U.S. |
$88,024±$11kLowest 9% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $824,900±$61kHighest 148% above U.S. |
$452,800±$17kLowest 36% above U.S. |
$485,300±$23k 46% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,253±$217Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,466±$261 4% above U.S. |
$1,350±$297Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,771 53% above U.S. |
$3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.4%±17.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.1%±19.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanover and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 26% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 26.4%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
36.6%±10.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kennebunk and Hanover 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 | #1 of 120 in NH | #9 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | — | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Hanover High School | — | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.