Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Kittery vs South Eliot
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%).
Kittery has the most renters (32.8% rent).
South Eliot has the oldest population (median age 55.5).
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 | Kittery | South Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
10,473 |
4,203Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3 22% above ME |
46.8±2.3Lowest 4% above ME |
55.5±8Highest 24% above ME |
| South Eliot and Kennebunk 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% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.2%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and South Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32.8%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| South Eliot 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% |
46%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Kittery 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 |
$93,728±$14kLowest 25% above ME |
$99,299±$9k 33% above ME |
| Kennebunk and South Eliot 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 |
$468,500±$31kLowest 58% above ME |
$475,600±$52k 60% above ME |
| Kennebunk and South Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,425±$290Lowest 25% above ME |
$1,716±$224 51% above ME |
$2,155±$292Highest 89% above ME |
| South Eliot and Kittery 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 |
$4,518 49% above ME |
$4,442Lowest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
64.3%±29.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| South Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1973 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±4.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Kittery 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 | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 21 | Kittery Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Robert W Traip Academy | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| 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.