Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Bath vs Scarborough
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 (32.5%).
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Scarborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17%).
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 | Scarborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820 |
8,815Lowest |
23,215Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
48.8±2.7 9% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±3Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2 ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Bath 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% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
| Scarborough 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±$21k 64% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,425±$290 25% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,999 65% above ME |
$3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough and Bath 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% |
4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough 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 | #35 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Scarborough Public Schools |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Morse High School | Scarborough High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
14.8Highest |
11.0Lowest |
| 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.