Compare towns
Kittery vs Hope vs Bath
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).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k 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 | Hope | Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
1,748Lowest |
8,815 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope 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% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 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% ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Kittery 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 |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
| Kittery and Hope 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 |
$373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest 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 |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 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 |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | Morse High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
| 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.