Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cape Elizabeth is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 3rd among Maine's 142 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, its public schools beat 98% of Maine towns on state tests and graduation, and it reports less crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $894K for a typical one and 9.7 times the Portland metro’s $92K median household income. 74% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cape Elizabeth, against 32% in Maine’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 12 of Maine’s 285 towns do better. Cape Elizabeth's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Where Cape Elizabeth beats most towns.
Spurwink Congregational Church| Widest gap | Cape Elizabeth | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.5% | 10.7% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pond Cove Elementary | PK–4 | 579 |
| Cape Elizabeth Middle School | 5–8 | 448 |
| Cape Elizabeth High School | 9–12 | 471 |
Its founding year, 1628, comes before those of 96% of the Maine towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,356 in 1790, a low of 887 in 1900, 9,535 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1791 and 5 maps from 1893 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Cape Elizabeth is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cape Elizabeth. Close and well known come first.
in town LighthousePortland Head Light
7 mi LandmarkFort Gorges24 mi Ancient sitePopham Colony
7 mi MuseumPortland Museum of Art
7 mi MuseumMaine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
34 mi LighthouseCape Neddick LightPortland Head Light: Aniarku, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Gorges: Dirk Ingo Franke, CC BY 3.0 · Portland Museum of Art: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 · Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum: No machine-readable author provided. Gwernol assumed (based on copyright claims), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Neddick Light: Stefan Hillebrand, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cape Elizabeth, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Cape Elizabeth.
Cape Elizabeth is the healthiest town in Maine, has schools in the top 5% of Maine and reports less crime than Scarborough or any other graded neighbor.
At 9.7 years of the Portland metro’s $92K median household income, the typical home (about $894K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Maine towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Scarborough is next at $689K.
Cape Elizabeth’s median rent is $2,185 a month. The typical Cape Elizabeth home is worth about $894,000, up 3.3% in a year, about twice the Maine typical home. 88% of households own their home in Cape Elizabeth.
| Cape Elizabeth | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,185 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 142 Maine towns we grade for schools. Its A+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Scarborough (A) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Cape Elizabeth Public Schools. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cape Elizabeth High School, with 471 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pond Cove ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 579 | A+ |
| Cape Elizabeth High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 471 | A+ |
| Cape Elizabeth Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 448 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
57 miles of trail in 25 parks and preserves. The trail density in Cape Elizabeth is 1.3 miles per square mile. Gull Crest Trails, at 220 acres with 4.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Cape Elizabeth | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robinson Woods Preserve | 5.5 mi | 203 |
| 2. Gull Crest Trails | 4.6 mi | 220 |
| 3. Winnick Woods | 2.7 mi | 96 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
It is the healthiest of the 143 Maine towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Maine is food insecurity: 4.5% of its 7,468 adults worry about having enough food, against 10.7% statewide.
26% of Cape Elizabeth adults sleep under 7 hours. No town among the 143 in Maine we compare has a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Cape Elizabeth. 14% of Cape Elizabeth adults get no exercise outside work.
| Cape Elizabeth | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Cape Elizabeth | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.5% | 10.7% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.9% | 9.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A+ tops all 3 graded towns on its borders; Scarborough (B+) comes closest. Reported crimes rose from 15 to 21 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Among 79 Maine towns, just 4 have a lower property crime rate than Cape Elizabeth.
| Cape Elizabeth | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cape Elizabeth.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
31.9% of workers work from home, against 15.9% across Maine.
Most working residents leave Cape Elizabeth for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Cape Elizabeth grew to 1,283 in 2023, 169 more than in 2013. Only 2 of the 143 Maine towns we compare have a higher median household income than Cape Elizabeth.
| Cape Elizabeth | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $146,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.6% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Portland Intl Jetport weather station, 7 miles away, records that 69 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 85% of Maine places with climate records. The Portland Intl Jetport weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 5 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 79% of Maine places with climate records.
Cape Elizabeth has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 79° and January nights drop to 16°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4 within 15 miles of the center of Cape Elizabeth
About 3 of every 100 Cape Elizabeth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
6% of the town is conserved land, across 25 parks and preserves.
7 places in Cape Elizabeth on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Cape Elizabeth.
Town in Maine, United States
Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Cape Elizabeth had a population of 9,535. One of the wealthiest towns in the state, Cape Elizabeth is the location of Portland Head Light, which is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. Since 1998, it has hosted the Beach to Beacon 10K, a world-class road race which starts at Crescent Beach State Park and ends at Portland Head Light. Cape Elizabeth has a single community school department. Cape Elizabeth High School's team name is the "Capers".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Cape Elizabeth.
At #3 in ME, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Scarborough (A) comes closest.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Elizabeth | #3 | A+ | D | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Scarborough | #12 | A | D | B+ | A | A |
| South Portland | #52 | B | D | B | C+ | A− |
| Portland | #102 | C | D | C | D | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Cape Elizabeth grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #3 of 142 in Maine. It grades A+ for health, A+ for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
8 notable people were born here, including John Ford and Joan Benoit Samuelson.
