Compare towns
New Castle vs Lyme vs Kittery
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k median).
Lyme has the most kids (19.5% under 18).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
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 | New Castle | Lyme | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 827Lowest |
1,710 |
10,473Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S. |
48.6±7.8 25% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3Lowest 20% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Lyme and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Castle and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 68.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Kittery and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S. |
$133,906±$15k 66% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
| New Castle and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S. |
$645,000±$64k 94% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31kLowest 41% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
$1,418±$130Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,509 173% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±29.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lyme and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.2%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Castle and Lyme 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 |
| School district | New Castle School District | Lyme School District | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.