Compare towns
Kittery vs Barnstead vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Barnstead has the most homeowners (93.6%).
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 | Barnstead | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473 |
4,994Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.8±3.1Lowest 10% above U.S. |
44.9±1.5 15% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21%±5Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.7%±2.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Barnstead and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±4.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Barnstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.2%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barnstead and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,728±$14k 16% above U.S. |
$111,660±$12kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$92,241±$11kLowest 14% above U.S. |
| Barnstead and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$362,400±$25kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$413,100±$17k 24% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,395±$75 about the U.S. average |
$1,249±$385Lowest 12% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$6,003Highest 92% above U.S. |
$4,807 54% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.6%±50.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.3%±14Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Saco and Barnstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 18% above U.S. |
24 min 10% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Saco 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 | #111 of 120 in NH | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Barnstead School District | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9 |
— | — |
| 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.