Compare towns
Kittery vs South Berwick vs Saco vs Gray
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%).
South Berwick has the most kids (26.7% under 18).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k 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 | South Berwick | Saco | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,473 |
7,670Lowest |
20,819Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| 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% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick and Gray 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% |
15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$99,572±$13kHighest 33% above ME |
$92,241±$11kLowest 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| South Berwick and Gray 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 |
$428,300±$26k 44% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Kittery and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224 51% above ME |
$1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$1,249±$385Lowest 10% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| South Berwick and Kittery 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 |
$4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$4,807 58% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick 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% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.3% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer 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 |
27 min 9% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest 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 | #58 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Saco Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Marshwood High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
13.0Highest |
— | 12.5 |
| 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.