Compare towns
Strafford vs Kittery vs Cornwall vs Vershire
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
Cornwall has the most people working from home (24.4%).
Vershire has the most affordable homes ($209k median).
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 | Strafford | Kittery | Cornwall | Vershire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,372 |
10,473Highest |
1,208 |
842Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-7.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
50.4±4.6 30% above U.S. |
45.7±9.3Lowest 17% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Strafford and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.7%±6.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.2%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
54.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.2%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Vershire and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $110,833±$19k 37% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14k 16% above U.S. |
$114,583±$32kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$71,618±$12kLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Cornwall and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $431,300±$40k 30% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$458,000±$49k 38% above U.S. |
$209,100±$55kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$789 20% below U.S. |
$1,716±$224Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,125±$206 20% below U.S. |
$1,117±$80Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Kittery and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,149Highest 129% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$6,726 116% above U.S. |
$4,640 49% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±48 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±65.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
77.8%±24.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Vershire and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
0.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 13% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.1%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.4%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Cornwall and Kittery 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 | — | — |
| School district | Strafford School District | Kittery Public Schools | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.9 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.