Compare towns
Kittery vs Hanson vs Ellsworth
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%).
Hanson has the highest household income ($132k).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Hanson | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473 |
10,660Highest |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.8±3Lowest 10% above U.S. |
43±2.4 11% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Ellsworth 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% |
21.6%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Hanson and Ellsworth 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% |
19.7%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Ellsworth 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% |
42.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ellsworth and Hanson 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. |
$132,200±$10kHighest 64% above U.S. |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$533,900±$36kHighest 60% above U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Hanson and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$1,821±$860Highest 29% above U.S. |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Hanson and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518 45% above U.S. |
$6,402Highest 105% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
69%±33.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanson and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 27% above U.S. |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.9%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #17 of 133 in ME | #149 of 282 in MA | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Whitman-Hanson | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Whitman Hanson Regional | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
14.7Highest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.