Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Mount Desert vs Kennebunk
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 shortest commute (18 min average).
Kennebunk has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,221 |
1,671Lowest |
11,820Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±7.2Lowest 21% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
54.6±3.3 22% above 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%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk 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%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk 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% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert 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±$21k 27% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
| Kennebunk 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±$17kLowest 53% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$487,700±$21k 64% 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±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,771 57% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.3%±13.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Kennebunk 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% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 8% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Kennebunk 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 | — | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6 |
| 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.