Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Brunswick vs Bar Harbor
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%).
Brunswick has the most affordable homes ($376k median).
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 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 | Brunswick | Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820 |
22,336Highest |
5,244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Bar Harbor 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% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brunswick and Bar Harbor 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 |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Bar Harbor 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 |
$376,300±$15kLowest 27% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Kennebunk 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 |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
| Brunswick 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 |
$4,756 57% above ME |
$4,279Lowest 41% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Bar Harbor 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Brunswick High School | Mt Desert Island High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
10.9 |
8.2Lowest |
| 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.