Compare towns
North Berwick vs Scarborough vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
North Berwick has the most kids (21.2% under 18).
Scarborough has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Wells has the oldest population (median age 53.6).
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 | North Berwick | Scarborough | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,129Lowest |
23,215Highest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±4.7Lowest 7% below ME |
48.8±2.7 9% above ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Wells and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| North Berwick and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.9%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,875±$16k 36% above ME |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Scarborough and North Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,500±$33kLowest 44% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,105±$116Lowest about the ME average |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,735 23% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.2%±28.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| North Berwick and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.7% ME: 74.3% |
77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 15%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Scarborough and Wells 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 | #82 of 133 in ME | #35 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | Scarborough Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Noble High School | Scarborough High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Highest |
11.0Lowest |
11.4 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME 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.