Compare towns
Kittery vs Thomaston vs Ellsworth
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%).
Thomaston has the shortest commute (14 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Thomaston | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
2,769Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-1.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
58.1±6.6Highest 30% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Thomaston and Ellsworth 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% |
35.5%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Thomaston 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Kittery 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 25% above ME |
$56,435±$13kLowest 24% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Kittery and Ellsworth 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 |
$271,700±$10k 8% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,262±$343 11% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kittery and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$4,487 48% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
60.5%±23.5 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Thomaston 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% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% ME: 74.3% |
73.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
14 minLowest 45% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #17 of 133 in ME | #99 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 13 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
— | 12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.