Compare towns
Wells vs Scarborough vs Kennebunk
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wells has the most homeowners (90.1%).
Scarborough has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
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 | Scarborough | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,713Lowest |
23,215Highest |
11,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+17% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
48.8±2.7Lowest 9% above ME |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above 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%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
| Wells 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% |
24.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30%±4 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% |
57.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
51.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Scarborough 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 |
$133,558±$21kHighest 79% above ME |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
| Scarborough 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±$23kLowest 64% above ME |
$551,900±$39kHighest 86% above ME |
$487,700±$21k 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297Lowest 19% above ME |
$1,956±$178Highest 72% above ME |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$5,978Highest 97% above ME |
$4,999 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
51.9%±13.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Scarborough 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% |
4.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 12% above ME |
19 minLowest 21% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and Scarborough 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 | #35 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Scarborough Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | Wells High School | Scarborough High School | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
11.0Lowest |
11.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.