Compare towns
Kittery vs Waterville 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 people working from home (22.7%).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($236k 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 | Waterville | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,473Highest |
680Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
49.1±8.2 26% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Waterville 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% |
20.4%±8.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Waterville and Eliot 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% |
14.4%±3.5Lowest 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% |
32.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Waterville 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. |
$71,250±$27kLowest 12% below 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. |
$236,300±$15kLowest 29% 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. |
$1,110±$93Lowest 21% 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. |
$3,957Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,549Highest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±27.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Waterville 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% |
4.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
38 minHighest 42% above U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.5%±3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Eliot 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 | Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058A | 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.