Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Bowdoin 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 most people working from home (32.5%).
Bowdoin has the most affordable homes ($293k median).
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 | Bowdoin | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
3,188Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
44.3±10Lowest about the ME average |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Bowdoin 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Kennebunk 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 |
$91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Bowdoin 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 |
$292,800±$71kLowest about the ME average |
$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±$290Highest 25% above ME |
— | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Wells 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 |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Wells and Kennebunk 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% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #9 of 133 in ME | #28 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 11.4Lowest |
| 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.