Compare towns
Kittery vs Hope 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 people working from home (22.7%).
Hope has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
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 | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473 |
1,748Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
| 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 ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope 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 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Hope 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% |
43.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Saco 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±$6kLowest 16% 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±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$373,400±$33kLowest 26% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,219±$182Lowest 7% above ME |
$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 |
$3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 minHighest 3% below ME |
| 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 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 | — | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | 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 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.