Compare towns
Kennebunk vs Wells vs Williston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
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%).
Williston has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,820Highest |
11,713 |
10,144Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54.6±3.3Highest 40% above U.S. |
53.6±3.8 38% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5Lowest 17% above U.S. |
| 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%±3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Williston and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
31%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Williston 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±$8kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$88,024±$11kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12k 32% above U.S. |
| Kennebunk and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $487,700±$21kHighest 47% above U.S. |
$485,300±$23k 46% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40kLowest 43% above U.S. |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,425±$290 about the U.S. average |
$1,350±$297Lowest 4% below U.S. |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
| Williston and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,999 60% above U.S. |
$3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
$5,592Highest 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.1%±10.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.1%±19.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Williston and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1989 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 32.5%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kennebunk and Williston 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 | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | RSU 21 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| High school in town | Kennebunk High School | Wells High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
11.4Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.