Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Appleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k 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 | Kennebunk | Appleton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,221Highest |
1,360Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±7.2Highest 21% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 30.9%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $95,169±$21kHighest 27% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $452,800±$17kHighest 53% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,466±$261Highest 29% above ME |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,771Highest 57% above ME |
$3,588Lowest 18% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±13.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 11.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 8% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #9 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.