Compare towns
South Berwick vs Boothbay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
South Berwick has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
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 | South Berwick | Boothbay |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 7,670Highest |
3,102Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Boothbay and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $99,572±$13kHighest 33% above ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,300±$26kHighest 44% above ME |
$342,100±$43kLowest 15% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$1,147±$121Lowest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.5%±24.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| South Berwick and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±5.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | — |
| High school in town | Marshwood High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.0 |
— |
| 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.