Compare towns
Kittery vs Rye vs Eliot vs New Castle
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 renters (32.8% rent).
Rye has the most kids (18.2% under 18).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k 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 | Rye | Eliot | New Castle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
5,611 |
7,146 |
827Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.1±3 42% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S. |
| New Castle and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
18.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Rye and Eliot 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% |
31.7%±5.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Castle and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
68.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.2%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$140,655±$39k 74% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S. |
| New Castle and Rye 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. |
$1,028,100±$89k 209% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Lowest 21% above U.S. |
$1,781±$156 26% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471 38% above U.S. |
$3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$7,519 141% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$8,509Highest 173% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
44.3%±16.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Rye 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% |
6.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
93%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
29 min 9% above U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
30.9%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Castle and Rye 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 | #2 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Rye School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | New Castle School District |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | 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 | 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.