Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Wells vs Eliot vs Scarborough
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%).
Wells has the most homeowners (90.1%).
Eliot has the oldest housing (typical home built 1979).
Scarborough has the highest household income ($134k).
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 | Wells | Eliot | Scarborough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,820 |
11,713 |
7,146Lowest |
23,215Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+17% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
48.8±2.7Lowest 9% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Wells 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% |
18%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2 ME: 18.1% |
| Wells 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells 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% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Scarborough and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
| Scarborough 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 |
$485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
$498,900±$62k 68% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
| Scarborough and Eliot 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 |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,948±$471 71% above ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
| Scarborough and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,999 65% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Scarborough 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% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | #35 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Scarborough Public Schools |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Wells High School | None in town | Scarborough High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
11.4 |
— | 11.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.