Compare towns
Wells vs Bar Harbor vs Kennebunk vs Ogunquit
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Kennebunk has the most affordable homes ($453k median).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
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 | Wells | Bar Harbor | Kennebunk | Ogunquit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
5,244 |
6,221 |
1,379Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.8% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
49.2±5.9Lowest 10% above ME |
54.3±7.2 21% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
52% ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$95,169±$21k 27% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
$538,400±$94k 82% above ME |
$452,800±$17kLowest 53% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,466±$261Highest 29% above ME |
— |
| Kennebunk and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,279 41% above ME |
$4,771Highest 57% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±13.2 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Wells and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% ME: 10.7% |
10.1% ME: 10.7% |
11.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1% ME: 74.3% |
74.5% ME: 74.3% |
73.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 12% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
36.6%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Ogunquit and Kennebunk 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #2 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | — | — |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Mt Desert Island High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
8.2Lowest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.