Compare towns
Kittery vs Kennebunk vs Ellsworth 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 shortest commute (20 min average).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
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 | Kennebunk | Ellsworth | Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,473 |
11,820Highest |
8,657Lowest |
8,815 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Kittery 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% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest 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±$14k 25% above ME |
$107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
| Kennebunk 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±$31k 58% above ME |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
| Kittery and Kennebunk 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 |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
24 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2 ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Kittery 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 | #9 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 21 | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Kennebunk High School | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
11.6 |
12.7 |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.