Compare towns
York vs Mount Desert vs Kennebunk
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
York has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.5%).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 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 | York | Mount Desert | Kennebunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,986Highest |
1,671Lowest |
11,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.5±5.2Lowest 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
54.6±3.3 22% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.1%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
| York and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.9%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.1% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $121,250±$25kHighest 62% above ME |
$92,813±$9kLowest 24% above ME |
$107,804±$8k 44% above ME |
| York and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $636,400±$30kHighest 115% above ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$487,700±$21kLowest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,490±$336Highest 31% above ME |
$1,341±$89Lowest 18% above ME |
$1,425±$290 25% above ME |
| York and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,658 53% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.5%±10.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9 ME: 48.4% |
| York and Kennebunk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.5% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 4% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 26%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk and York 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 | #13 of 133 in ME | — | #9 of 133 in ME |
| School district | York Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 21 |
| High school in town | York High School | None in town | Kennebunk High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6Lowest |
— | 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.