Compare towns
Kittery vs Walpole vs Ellsworth
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 people working from home (22.7%).
Walpole has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
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 | Walpole | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
3,690Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Highest 20% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4 20% above U.S. |
43±2.4Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Kittery and Walpole 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% |
22.2%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Walpole and Ellsworth 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% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Walpole 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% |
32.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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 16% above U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,500±$31kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,165±$150 18% below U.S. |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,518 45% above U.S. |
$6,078Highest 95% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #17 of 133 in ME | #27 of 120 in NH | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Kittery Public Schools | Fall Mountain Regional School District | 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 → |
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.