Compare towns
Scarborough vs Readfield vs Kennebunk
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scarborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17%).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
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 | Scarborough | Readfield | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 23,215Highest |
2,651Lowest |
11,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±2.7 9% above ME |
48.1±7.6Lowest 7% above ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
| Readfield and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.7%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Scarborough and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
| Scarborough and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
$487,700±$21k 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,125±$844Lowest about the ME average |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
$4,999 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough and Kennebunk 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% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 24.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Scarborough Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | Scarborough High School | Maranacook Community High Sch | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.0Lowest |
11.5 |
11.6Highest |
| 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.