Compare towns
Saco vs Bath vs Kittery vs Dayton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Dayton has the most homeowners (89.7%).
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 | Saco | Bath | Kittery | Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,819Highest |
8,815 |
10,473 |
2,313Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
42.1±5.5Lowest 6% below ME |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5% ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
| Dayton and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$398,200±$34k 34% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,215±$867 7% above ME |
| Kittery and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,518 49% above ME |
$3,872 28% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.4% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.8% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 3% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Bath 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Saco Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Kittery Public Schools | Dayton Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Morse High School | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.