Compare towns

Kennebunk vs Ellsworth

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%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k 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.

MeasureKennebunkEllsworth
People
Population
6,221Lowest
8,657Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+10.8%Highest
ME: +2.6%
+8.5%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
54.3±7.2Highest
21% above ME
43±2.4Lowest
4% below ME
Kids under 18
18.1%±4.2Lowest
ME: 18.1%
18.4%±3.5Highest
ME: 18.1%
Ellsworth and Kennebunk 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%
22.1%±3.3Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
52%Highest
ME: 36.2%
39.3%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
2.3%±2.2Lowest
ME: 5.8%
5.3%±2Highest
ME: 5.8%
Ellsworth 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
$77,375±$18kLowest
4% above ME
Kennebunk and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$452,800±$17kHighest
53% above ME
$242,300±$22kLowest
18% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,466±$261Highest
29% above ME
$1,017±$195Lowest
11% below ME
Kennebunk and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$4,771Highest
57% above ME
$3,262Lowest
7% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
40.3%±13.2Lowest
ME: 48.4%
62.1%±15.7Highest
ME: 48.4%
Ellsworth 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%
9.3%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
73.1%Highest
ME: 74.3%
66.7%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1980
3 yrs newer than ME
1980
3 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
23 minLowest
8% below ME
25 minHighest
about the ME average
Work from home
36.6%±10.2Highest
ME: 15.9%
7.1%±2.8Lowest
ME: 15.9%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #9 of 133 in ME #63 of 133 in ME
School district — Ellsworth Public Schools
High school in town — Ellsworth High School
Students per teacherat that high school —
12.7
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story 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.