Living in Kittery, Maine – A local relocation guide. Updated 2026. Home prices, the shipyard, and honest trade-offs.
Kittery is Maine’s southernmost town and its gateway from New Hampshire and Boston – a coastal community of about 9,800 just across the river from Portsmouth, known for outlet shopping, the naval shipyard, and easy access to both Maine and the Boston metro. After three decades covering Maine, here is an honest look at living in Kittery: what you get, what it costs, and who it suits.
The Basics
Kittery sits at the very southern tip of Maine, directly across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and about an hour north of Boston. It is best known for its outlet shopping and as home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (actually located in Kittery), a major employer. The town blends a working waterfront, coastal neighborhoods (including Kittery Point), a walkable Foreside district near Portsmouth, and easy access to both southern Maine’s beaches and the amenities of Portsmouth and Boston.
Kittery Home Prices & Cost of Living (2026)
As of 2026, Kittery is an expensive southern-Maine market, with recent median home prices running roughly $600,000 to $925,000 – well above the statewide median – driven by its proximity to Portsmouth and Boston, coastal setting, and limited inventory. The overall cost of living runs above the national average. You pay a premium here for the location and the Boston-metro access. (Housing figures are approximate and change; verify current prices before buying.)
Jobs and Location
Kittery’s standout feature is location and employment access. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a major stable employer (skilled trades, engineering, and defense work), and Portsmouth, NH – just across the river – adds restaurants, culture, and jobs with no Maine border to cross for daily life. Boston is about an hour south, making Kittery viable for occasional Boston commuting or business. Few Maine towns offer this much metro access.
The Trade-offs
Honestly: Kittery is expensive and busy for a small town – outlet traffic and summer tourism on Route 1 and near the beaches are real, and prices reflect the desirable southern location. It is also at the far edge of Maine, so much of daily life orients toward Portsmouth rather than the rest of the state. But for those who want Maine coastal living with immediate access to Portsmouth’s amenities, shipyard employment, and Boston within reach, Kittery is uniquely positioned.
Living in Kittery: FAQ
Is Kittery, Maine a good place to live?
Yes, especially for those wanting coastal Maine living with metro access. Kittery offers a coastal setting, the amenities of neighboring Portsmouth, NH, shipyard employment, and Boston about an hour south. The trade-offs are high home prices, outlet and tourist traffic, and being at the far southern edge of Maine.
How much does it cost to live in Kittery, Maine?
Kittery is an expensive southern-Maine market. As of 2026, recent median home prices run roughly $600,000 to $925,000, well above the statewide median, with a cost of living above the national average – reflecting its proximity to Portsmouth and Boston and its coastal setting.
What is Kittery, Maine known for?
Kittery is known as Maine’s southernmost town, for its outlet shopping, and as home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard – a major employer. It sits directly across the river from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, giving residents Maine coastal living with immediate access to Portsmouth’s amenities and Boston about an hour away.
Job hunting in southern Maine? Browse jobs in Kittery and across southern Maine on JobsInMaine.
More Maine town guides: Living in Cape Elizabeth · Living in Falmouth · Living in Scarborough · Living in Yarmouth · Living in Freeport
See also our best coastal towns in Maine, Maine vs New Hampshire to live, and guide to moving to Maine. MaineGuide.com has been Maine’s resource guide since 1995.