Compare towns
Kittery vs Topsham vs Upton
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).
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
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 | Topsham | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
9,706 |
8,189Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
44.7±4Lowest 15% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
50% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Topsham 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±$14k 16% above U.S. |
$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,355±$642 4% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518 45% above U.S. |
$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Kittery 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 | #66 of 133 in ME | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Mt Ararat High School | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
12.2Highest |
11.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.