Compare towns
Kittery vs Meredith vs Hampton Beach
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 shortest commute (20 min average).
Meredith has the most homeowners (75.8%).
Hampton Beach has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.2%).
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 | Meredith | Hampton Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
6,758 |
2,605Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+14.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
60.4±2.4Highest 55% above U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
3.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Kittery and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.7%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Hampton Beach 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% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
34%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Meredith 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 16% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$82,557±$17kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Kittery and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31kLowest 41% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$508,900±$76kHighest 53% above U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,375±$130 about the U.S. average |
| Kittery and Hampton Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$6,115Highest 96% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±20.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 min 4% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
26.9%±6.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith 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 | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | — |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Inter-Lakes High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
11.1Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.