Compare towns
Kittery vs Exeter vs Bath vs Ellsworth
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 expensive homes ($469k median).
Exeter has the most homeowners (93.1%).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Exeter | Bath | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
1,093Lowest |
8,815 |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Exeter 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% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Bath 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% |
23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$84,408±$12k 13% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Kittery and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Bath 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% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Bath 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 | — | #31 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | — | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | — | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.