Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Waldo 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%).
Waldo has the most affordable homes ($208k 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 | Waldo | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
926Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% 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% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo 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% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest 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% |
36.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Kennebunk and Eliot 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 |
$71,458±$21kLowest 4% below 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 |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below 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 |
$1,150±$691Lowest about the ME average |
$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 |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3% ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #9 of 133 in ME | — | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | Waldo-Region 7 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | None in town | 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.