What stands out worked out from the figures below

Kennebunk has the most homeowners (80.6%).

Salem has the most renters (50.3% rent).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Kennebunk	Salem
People
Population	11,820Lowest	44,795Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54.6±3.3Highest 40% above U.S.	39.3±1.5Lowest about the U.S. average
Kids under 18	17.7%±3Highest U.S.: 22%	15.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Kennebunk and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	51.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	47.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	8.2%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$107,804±$8kHighest 34% above U.S.	$85,153±$5kLowest 5% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$487,700±$21kLowest 47% above U.S.	$542,800±$18kHighest 63% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$290Lowest about the U.S. average	$1,836±$84Highest 30% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,999Lowest 60% above U.S.	$6,114Highest 96% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.1%±10.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	54.9%±4.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	7.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	12.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	49.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	29 minHighest 8% above U.S.
Work from home	32.5%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	21.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#9 of 133 in ME	#248 of 282 in MA
School district	RSU 21	Salem
High school in town	Kennebunk High School	Salem High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.6Highest	9.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.