Compare towns
Kittery vs Bar Harbor vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Kittery has the most renters (32.8% rent).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Kittery | Bar Harbor | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473 |
5,244Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
44.9±1.5Lowest about the ME average |
| Bar Harbor and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Saco and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
| Kittery and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31k 58% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$413,100±$17kLowest 39% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Kittery and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518 49% above ME |
$4,279Lowest 41% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
24 minHighest 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Bar Harbor 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 | #17 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Highest |
8.2Lowest |
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| 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.