Compare towns
Kennebunk vs North Berwick vs 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%).
North Berwick has the most affordable homes ($347k median).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | North Berwick | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
1,702Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
40.1±8.2Lowest 10% below ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Eliot 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% |
21.6%±6.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| North Berwick and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.9%±7.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Eliot 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% |
23.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
6.2%±4.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| North Berwick 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 |
$98,317±$69kLowest 32% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Eliot 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 |
$346,900±$86kLowest 17% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
| Eliot 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 |
$1,088±$247Lowest 4% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
| Eliot 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 |
$3,164Lowest 4% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
64.8%±35.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
| North Berwick and Eliot 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% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.6%±7.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #9 of 133 in ME | #82 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | — | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
— | — |
| 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.