Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Mount Desert vs Boothbay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Kennebunk has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.8%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
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 | Boothbay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,221Highest |
1,671Lowest |
3,102 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±7.2Lowest 21% above ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
| Boothbay and Mount Desert 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% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert 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% |
29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Boothbay and Kennebunk 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% |
51.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Boothbay and Mount Desert 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 |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert 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 |
$342,100±$43kLowest 15% 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±$261Highest 29% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,147±$121Lowest about the ME average |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert 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 |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±13.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert 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% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 8% below ME |
18 min 27% below ME |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
| Work from home | 36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest 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 | — | — |
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school 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.