Compare towns
South Eliot vs Kittery vs Dover
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
South Eliot has the most homeowners (79.9%).
Kittery has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
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 Eliot | Kittery | Dover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,203Lowest |
10,473 |
33,364Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.5±8Highest 43% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| South Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.2%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Dover and South Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 32.8%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| South Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,299±$9kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$94,829±$7k 17% above U.S. |
| South Eliot and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $475,600±$52kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$436,700±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
| South Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,155±$292Highest 53% above U.S. |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$1,607±$100Lowest 14% above U.S. |
| South Eliot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,442Lowest 42% above U.S. |
$4,518 45% above U.S. |
$8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±29.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| South Eliot and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 22% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 14% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.2%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Kittery and Dover 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | #64 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Kittery Public Schools | Dover School District |
| High school in town | — | Robert W Traip Academy | Dover Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.9Lowest |
12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.