Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Gray vs Bristol vs Wells
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%).
Gray has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
Bristol has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | Gray | Bristol | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,221 |
8,429 |
2,917Lowest |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±7.2 21% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
61±3.2Highest 36% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Bristol and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.9%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
42.8%±8.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
52.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,169±$21k 27% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,750±$19kHighest 35% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Bristol and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $452,800±$17k 53% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$406,400±$54k 37% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Wells and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,466±$261Highest 29% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,051±$106Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Gray 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,668Lowest 12% below ME |
$3,215 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±13.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
23.4%±19.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1968Lowest 9 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 8% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
25%±8.3 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Bristol 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 | #9 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #16 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Bristol Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.4Lowest |
| 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.