Compare towns
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
Scarborough has the highest household income ($134k).
Wells has the most homeowners (90.1%).
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 | Scarborough | Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 23,215Highest |
11,713Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±2.7Lowest 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 | 16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Wells and Scarborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 24.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Scarborough and Wells 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 |
$88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$485,300±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough and Wells 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% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Lowest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 24.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Scarborough Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Scarborough High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.0Lowest |
11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.