Compare towns
Kittery vs Walden vs Eliot
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).
Walden has the most affordable homes ($239k median).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | Walden | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
1,037Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
48.8±3.2 25% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Walden 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% |
14.3%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Eliot 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
26.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Walden 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. |
$88,000±$15kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10kHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Eliot 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±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$238,900±$23kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$900±$136Lowest 36% below U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kittery 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. |
$3,944Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$4,549Highest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.3%±86.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Walden and Eliot 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% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.4%±6.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Walden 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| 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 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.