Compare towns
Kittery vs Saco vs West 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 people working from home (22.7%).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
West Bath has the oldest population (median age 54.2).
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 | Saco | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473 |
20,819Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
44.9±1.5Lowest about the ME average |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| West Bath and Kittery 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% |
16.7%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Saco and Kittery 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% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
43.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Saco and West Bath 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 |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath 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±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$413,100±$17kLowest 39% above ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
| Kittery and West Bath 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 |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,112±$327Lowest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,516Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Saco and West Bath 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% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 minHighest 3% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9Lowest 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 | Saco Public Schools | West Bath 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.