Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Bath vs Kennebunk 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 highest household income ($108k).
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
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 | Bath | Kennebunk | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
8,815 |
6,221Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.8% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
54.3±7.2 21% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.2% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
52%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,169±$21k 27% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% 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 | $487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$452,800±$17k 53% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,425±$290 25% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,466±$261Highest 29% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% 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 | $4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$4,771 57% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±13.2 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.3% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.2% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
73.1% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Morse High School | — | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
14.8Highest |
— | 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.