Compare towns
Wells vs Kittery vs Kennebunk vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k 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 | Wells | Kittery | Kennebunk | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
10,473 |
6,221Lowest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
54.3±7.2Highest 21% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
| Kennebunk and Wells 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% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Kennebunk 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% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
52%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11kLowest 18% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$95,169±$21k 27% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
| Gray 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±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$468,500±$31k 58% above ME |
$452,800±$17k 53% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
| Wells and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,466±$261 29% above ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Kittery and Kennebunk 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 |
$4,518 49% above ME |
$4,771Highest 57% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±13.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Wells 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
11.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
73.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2 ME: 15.9% |
36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Kittery Public Schools | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Robert W Traip Academy | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
9.9Lowest |
— | 12.5Highest |
| 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.