Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Mount Desert vs Arundel
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%).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Arundel has the youngest population (median age 40.9).
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 | Mount Desert | Arundel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,221Highest |
1,671Lowest |
4,418 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±7.2 21% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
40.9±6.4Lowest 9% below ME |
| Mount Desert 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Arundel 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% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±3.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert and Arundel 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 |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$101,597±$17kHighest 36% above ME |
| Arundel and Kennebunk 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 |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$421,300±$62kLowest 42% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,466±$261 29% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,607±$495Highest 41% above ME |
| Arundel and Kennebunk 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 |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$3,763 24% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±13.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
34.2%±22.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Kennebunk and Arundel 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% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 8% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 minHighest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
7%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert 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 | — | #7 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.