Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Mount Desert vs Kennebunk
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).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Kennebunk has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.8%).
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 | Mount Desert | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
1,671Lowest |
6,221 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3 22% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
54.3±7.2Lowest 21% above ME |
| Mount Desert 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
52% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert 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 |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$95,169±$21k 27% 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±$21k 64% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$452,800±$17kLowest 53% above ME |
| Mount Desert 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 |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,466±$261Highest 29% 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 |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,771 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±13.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Kennebunk and Kennebunk 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% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
11.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
36.6%±10.2Highest 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 | — | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 12 photos → | 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.