keyscounts2004

Kittery Eliot York South
Berwick Kittery Eliot Yor
South Berwick Kittery Eliot
York South Berwick Kittery
Eliot York South Berwick
South Berwick Kittery Elio
York South Berwick Kitt
York South Berwick Kitt
Community Facts & Figures
2 0 0 4
KEYS Counts

contents1 introduction
demographics
POPULATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
GENDER, ETHNICITY/RACE, LANGUAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
social & civic
VOTING RATES, CONNECTEDNESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
SIGNS OF SOCIAL STRESS,YOUTH PERCEPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
communication & culture
COMMUNICATION & CULTURAL RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
RECREATION, CLUBS & SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. 7
environment
LAND USE, CONSERVATION & NATURAL RESOURCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
SOLID WASTE RECYCLING, AIR QUALITY,WATER QUALITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
FLUORIDATED WATER, HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
economic well being
INCOME, OCCUPATION & EMPLOYMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
POVERTY, HOUSING PROFILE,TRANSPORTATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
COMMUTERS & TRAFFIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
lifelong learning
STUDENT POPULATION & SCHOOL PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, DROPOUT RATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
GRADUATION & POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION. . . 13
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ADULT LITERACY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
physical & mental health
SELF-REPORTED HEALTH STATUS, CAUSES OF DEATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
HEALTH ENVIRONMENT, SUBSTANCE USE & ABUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
WEIGHT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & NUTRITION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
VACCINES, DIABETES & ASTHMA, BIRTHWEIGHT & INFANT MORTALITY . . . . . 15
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE & HEALTHCARE COVERAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
DISABILITIES, AIDS & AIDS CASES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT, SUICIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
sources
credits
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
17
KEYS Counts was created by the Community Wellness Coalition (CWC), a Maine
Healthy Community Coalition, through a Maine Bureau of Health, Healthy
Communities Program grant. The CWC is a member of the Maine Network of
Healthy Community Coalitions, through which we learn and grow:
http://www.thehcnetwork.org/
The KEYS Counts data collection work was done by Jill Pazereckas, Maine
Communities for Children Amercorps*VISTA at the CWC in 2002–2003.We thank
Susan Savell and Chip Curry for supplying us with wonderful VISTAs for the past
three years,including Jill!
This report also relied on CWC staff members, past and present, including
Diane Brandon,Paige Farmer,Christine Fecko,and Judy Mitsui.The facts and fig-
ures were supplied to us by dozens of helpful resource people in Maine and
beyond,and we especially thank theVermont "Regional Partnerships" who gave
us many ideas for this publication,and for the "Outcomes and Indicators" report
we hope to develop in the future.
Our Coalition's“Lead Agency”isYork Hospital,and the CWC was the organiz-
er of,and works closely with,Choose to Be Healthy,a Healthy Maine Partnership,
and KEYS for Prevention,a OneME Project.These ever-evolving collaborations are
key to all we do.
The CWC work rests on strong partnerships among local organizations and
individuals,including the following organizations and representatives who make
up the current CWC Steering Committee:
Helene Cass,Marshwood/SAD #35,School Board Chair
Deborah Erickson-Irons,York Hospital,Community Health Liaison
Susan Glick,Philanthropy Consultant
Cathy Goodwin,GreaterYork Region Chamber of Commerce,Director
Christine Johnson,York County Community Action,Kittery Office
Lois Jones,Counseling Services,Inc.
Jon Prichard,UM Cooperative Extension,Educator
Mary Stevens,Esq.,Family Resource Center,Parent Advisory Council
KristenWhiting-Grant,UM Cooperative Extension,Maine Sea Grant
atWells Reserve
We also thank all those who have served as leaders with the Community
WellnessCoalitioninthepast,andallthoseinvolvedwiththelinkedCommittees,
Task Forces,Councils,and Coalitions in our extended network of people building
a caring regional community.(We wish we could list all of you here!)
We could not do our work without all the funding organizations we have
worked with since 1996:
York Hospital
The Foundation for Seacoast Health
Maine Communities for Children
The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
Maine DHS,Bureau of Health and the Office of Childcare and
Headstart
The Maine Family Court System
The Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group
DFC/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Maine Community Foundation
Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation
UnitedWay of the Greater Seacoast
UnitedWay ofYork County
And lastly,we want to thank Dawn Boyer for her friendly and skillful graphic
design work on this document.
Art direction, graphic design, and layout by Dawn Boyer Design, Berwick ME
(www.dawnboyer.com)
Printed by Cocheco PrintWorks,Dover NH (www.cochecoprintworks.com)
CWC

KEYS Counts 2004 1
f you live, learn, work, or
play in or near the “KEYS”
towns—Kittery, Eliot, York,
and South Berwick, Maine—
this report is for you.
Positive change can happen if people
who care about the KEYS region come
together, learn the facts about the past
and present, develop a community
vision for the future, agree on changes
needed, plan for action, and—working
and learning together—get to results.
Facts
This report offers you some facts
about the KEYS region, as a starting
place.
Vision and Values
In 1997, at a regional Future Search
Conference held in York, 62 people
shared their visions and values, and
arrived at the views included in the
statement on the back cover of this
report.
Changes Needed,
Plans, Action Steps,
Results
We have “Comprehensive Plans” in
each of our KEYS towns, on file at our
Town Halls, sometimes available on
town websites. We do not have a
regional plan for the KEYS towns—do
we need one? Is it important for our
towns to work together to plan our
future?
When you gather to have conversa-
tions about the past, present, and
future, using the facts offered here to
inform your discussions, these are
some questions to ask yourselves and
each other:
Developing a Shared Vision
How, where, and when do we who
care about this KEYS region, renew,
revise, and reaffirm a shared vision?
Demographics
How do we want to grow? Where do
we want new buildings for homes,
services, and businesses?
Social and Civic
How can we build the best quality of life
for people who live here? How do we
I
introduction
make sure that our community is one that continues to welcome
diversity?
Arts
How do we want to improve arts spaces and opportunities here?
Environment
How will we care for our natural resources, our water supply, our
air quality, our land? What natural features do we want to pre-
serve?
Economy
How will we ensure jobs, housing, and transportation for the people
who live here and who want to move here?
Health
How will we build communities that are places where we can be
physically and mentally healthy?
Lifelong Learning
How can we ensure lifelong learning opportunities for all of us?
If you need more information to help you answer these questions,
the websites listed on page 17 will give you many ways to learn
more. If you would like to share the outcomes of your conversa-
tions, email the CWC at KEYSRegion@comcast.net.
Well-Being

persons per square mile. This is much
higher than both county (with a popu-
lation density of 189 persons per
square mile) and state with a popula-
tion density of only 41 persons per
square mile).
Change in Total Population
• Every town in our area grew over
the past decade, but some more so
than others.While Kittery grew by only
1.8%, York experienced a boom and
grew by 30.9%. During the 1990s,York
County grew by 13.5%, and Maine
grew by 3.8%. All of our towns, except
Kittery, experienced a larger popula-
tion growth than the state from
1990–2000.
Total Population by Age
• The out migration of the state’s
young adults is a problem being faced
by all areas of Maine. An unaffordable
housing market and the lack of
employment in the area offering a liv-
able wage is causing young adults to
move out of Maine in search of a more
stable and promising economic envi-
KEYS Counts 20042
DEMOGRAPHICS
This category focuses on population, gender,
ethnicity/race,and language in the KEYS area.
Who are we? What is our community composed of? How have
we grown and changed as a community? These are all questions
which are answered by demographics, which help us to better
understand our communities’ make-up. It is important to realize
and respect the diversity and similarities of each community; the
individual squares of a patchwork quilt. The information below
helps us to envision what our quilt might look like today and how
it has changed in its appearance since 1990.
Population
• According to the 2000 Census, the total population for the KEYS towns was
35,022.This makes up 19% of the total York County population.York, with 12,854 peo-
ple, makes up 37% of the KEYS population. Kittery (9,543) makes up 27% of the KEYS
population, South Berwick (6,671) is 19% and Eliot (5,954) is 17% of the population.
• The KEYS towns cover 126 square miles and have a population density of 320
POPULATION GROWTH
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percent Change
2000–2002
Percent Change
1990–2000
MaineYork Co.KEYSS.BerwickYorkEliotKittery
POPULATION
South
Kittery Eliot York Berwick KEYS YorkCo. Maine
Total Population:2000 9,543 5,954 12,854 6,671 35,022 186,742 1,274,923
% Total KEYS Pop. 27.25 17.00 36.70 19.05 100.00
Total Population:
2002 Est. 9,895 6,245 13,315 7,083 36,538
Size of Town
(Square Miles) 18 20 55 33 126
Population per
Square Mile 2000 552 299 223 206 320 189 41

KEYS Counts 2004 3
Ethnicity/Race
• The KEYS communities are 98% white.We have little racial and
ethnic diversity within our 4 towns.
• Kittery has the most racial diversity, with a 2% Black/African
American population, 1.5% Hispanic/Latino population, nearly 1%
Asian, and around .5% American Indian/Native population. These
percentages, except for the American Indian population, are higher
than both county and state percentages.
• Black/African American and Asian are the top two non-white
populations in our communities.
• The top two ethnicities in our area are English and Irish.
Change in Ethnicity/Race
• Although our non-white population remains around 2% of the
total population, our area has seen an increase in non-white popu-
lation over the past decade.York in particular saw a jump of 178%
in the non-white population, an increase that is higher than both
county and state levels.
Language
• Approximately 1.4% of our population speaks English less than
“very well” according to the 2000 Census. The KEYS area breaks
down as follows: Kittery 1.1%, Eliot 2.4%, York 0.7%, and South
Berwick 1.5%. This is slightly lower than York County (2.4%) and
Maine (2%) as a whole.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart data are from the U.S Census, 1990 and 2000.
.If you would like more specific or detailed information about any of the data sources,
please see the Source section at the back of this booklet.
ronment. Eliot was the only town in
our area to actually have increased in
young adults aged 20–24 throughout
the 1990s.
• As young adults are leaving the
area, the elderly are flocking to it.York
in particular saw more than a 50%
increase in the number of elderly (65
and over) over the past decade. This,
similar to the trends involving young
adults, is true for the county and state
as a whole.
Gender
• Our towns, area, county, and state
all have slightly higher levels of female
persons to male persons. In some
cases this difference is very minimal.
The KEYS towns together have
approximately 18,000 female and
17,000 male citizens.
demographics
CHANGE IN POPULATION BY AGE 1990–2000
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percent Change
in adults >65
Percent Change
in adults 20–24
NON-WHITE POPULATION
South York
Kittery Eliot York Berwick County Maine
% Hispanic/Latino 1.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
# Hispanic/Latino 143 29 93 45 1,301 9,360
% Black or African American 2.0 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
# Black or African American 194 24 51 32 1,143 9,553
% American Indian or Native 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6 1.0
# American Indian or Native 52 32 53 36 1,191 13,156
% Asian 0.9 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.9 0.9
# Asian 82 32 84 68 1,730 11,827
PERCENT CHANGE IN NON-WHITE POPULATION
0
50
100
150
200
POPULATION BY GENDER
South
Kittery Eliot York Berwick KEYS York Co. Maine
Female 4,898 3,095 6,703 3,380 18,076 96,025 654,614
Male 4,645 2,859 6,151 3,291 16,946 90,717 620,309
LANGUAGE
South York
Kittery Eliot York Berwick KEYS County Maine
% speak English less than
“very well” 1.1 2.4 0.7 1.5 1.4 2.4 2.0

KEYS Counts 20044
social and CIVIC
This category focuses on voting rates, connected-
ness, signs of social stress, and youth perceptions
of community issues.
By looking at our social and civic make-up, we can get a better
sense of how connected and how safe we feel as a community. We
must look at both signs of community connectedness and signs of
community stress when evaluating our social and civic profile. We
show our connectedness in our voting rates and our family and
household make-up (how we relate to each other as a communi-
ty). Community and Social Stress can be seen in a number of indicators, including:
elderly living alone, crimes against families, juvenile substance use/abuse offenses,
and adult and child protective services cases. A great measure of our social and
civic well being is how young people perceive community issues—how attached
they feel to our community, and what we offer them for opportunities and
rewards for community involvement. We should strive to help them feel more
wanted and connected to our community.
Voting Rates (Percent of Registered Voters
Who Voted)
Voting rates help show how connected the members of a community feel, as well
as how much ownership they have.The KEYS towns saw an approximate average
50% voting rate in the November 2002 elections. Berwick boasted the highest
rate of just over 54%, and York had the lowest rate of just over 48%.
Connectedness
Family Household Makeup
Of the 14,023 households in our 4-town area, 4,545 (or 32%) are
family households with children, and 931 of those are families with
a single parent head. Approximately 20% of all of our families with
children under 18 are families with a
single household head. Kittery has the
most single-parent family households
at 26%.
Our area has 691 unmarried-partner
households, which is about 5% of our
total households; 133 of those are same-
sex unmarried-partner households.
Kittery has the highest amount of
unmarried-partner households at just
over 7% (which is slightly higher than
both county and state rates).
Senior Citizens Alone
• About 27%, or 1,311, of seniors
(65 and older) in the KEYS area were
living alone in 2000.
FAMILY HOUSEHOLD MAKEUP
South
Total households 4,078 2,307 5,235 2,403 14,023 74,563 518,200
# Families with Children 1,130 815 1,543 1,057 4,545 23,995 157,325
# Families Single Head 295 140 289 207 931 6,280 44,558
%FamilieswithChildren 27.7 35.3 29.5 44.0 32.4
% Families Single Head 26.1 17.2 18.7 19.6 20.5
Voting Rate—2002
Percentage
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
S.BerwickYorkEliotKittery
Unmarried Partner Households 2000
Percent
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
MaineYork
County
KEYSSouth
Berwick
YorkEliotKittery
SENIOR CITIZENS ALONE
South
Adults >65 1,448 721 2,187 561 4,917 25,429 183,402
Householder >65
Living Alone 432 200 519 160 1,311 7,257 55,483
% Elderly Living Alone 29.8 27.7 28.5 23.7 26.7 28.5 30.3
Town Clerk Ofﬁces,2003

KEYS Counts 2004 5
Local
Juvenile
Arrests
• According
to the Maine
Depar tment
of Public Safety,
there were 232
juvenile arrests
made in the KEYS area in 2002. Of these, 124 came from York, 57 from Kittery, 30
from South Berwick, and 21 from Eliot. Fifty of the 232 total juvenile arrests were from
liquor law violations, and 35 were from
drug abuse violations.
Adult Protective Services
In 2000, the Maine Department of
Human Services reported 2,797
active protective cases. There were
nearly 10,000 phone calls from con-
cerned citizens,
Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
• In 2000, there were 140 reported
cases deemed appropriate for child
protective services involement in the
KEYS towns.This number dramatically
increased in 2001 to a total of 217
appropriate cases.
Youth Perceptions
of Community Issues
• Approximately 40% of area stu-
dents perceive drugs to be available in
our communities, and about 25% per-
ceive handguns to be available.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart data are
from the U.S Census, 1990 and 2000. If you
would like more specific or detailed information
about any of the data sources, please see the
Source section at the back of this booklet.
Signs of Social Stress
Domestic Violence
• In 2002, our area had 127 people
served by Caring Unlimited, York
County's Domestic Violence Program.
Crimes Against Families
• Crimes against families in Maine
have more than doubled over the past
decade, from 161 in 1990 to 403 in
1999.There was a sharp increase from
1997 through 1999, when crimes
jumped from 182 to 404.
Juvenile Drug Offenses
• Juvenile drug offenses have
begun to decrease slowly after a dra-
matic rise in the middle of the 1990s.
From 1993 to 1996, juvenlile drug
offenses rose from 211 to 740, but
then began to decrease to a total of
675 drug offenses in Maine in 1999.
socialandcivic
Individuals Served by Caring Unlimited
0
30
60
90
120
150
KEYSS.BerwickYorkEliotKittery
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
99989796959493929190
Juvenile Drug Offenses
Maine 1990–1999
100
200
300
400
500
99989796959493929190
Crimes Against Families
Maine 1990–1999
LOCAL JUVENILE DRUG ARRESTS
South
Total Juvenile Arrests 57 21 30 124 232 1,561 9,951
DUI 1 0 0 6 7 33 135
Liquor Law Violations 12 6 0 32 50 138 892
Drug Abuse Violations 4 6 7 18 35 155 846
YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY ISSUES
Kittery MSAD 35 York
Low
Neighborhood
Attachment 49.7% 30.6% 38.1%
Community
Disorganization 43.8% 30.1% 21.7%
Opportunities
for Involvement 46.5% 54.7% 50.6%
Community
Rewards for
Involvement 36.9% 47.0% 40.3%
Perceived
Availability
of Drugs 40.6% 38.2% 43.0%
Perceived
Availability
of Handguns 29.2% 23.3% 20.6%
Adult Protective Services Cases
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
200019991998
Caring Unlimited,2003
MaineCrimeandJusticeDataBook,MaineStatisticalAnalysisCenter,2001
Maine Department of Human Services,2003
Maine Crime and Justice Data Book,
Maine Statistical Analysis Center,2001
Maine Department of Public Safety,2003
MaineYouthRiskBehaviorSurvey,MaineDepartmentofEducation,2003
Child Protective Services,Maine Department of Human Services,2003

KEYS Counts 20046
communication & CULTURE
This category focuses on communication, culture, recreation,
service groups, and religious organizations in our area.
Key elements of community well-
being include harder to measure
resources such as newspapers, radio
and television stations, internet
access, art associations, galleries,
libraries, concert offerings, theater
groups, service organizations, restau-
rants and cafes, supermarkets, play-
ing fields, community centers, swim-
ming pools, walking trails and side-
walks, activities and places to renew
the spirit (including religious organi-
zations and their gathering places),
etc.This section touches on some of
these, but future assessments should
go further in finding a way to “meas-
ure” the quantity and quality of these community resources.
Communication Resources
The KEYS area is not served by a central newspaper, radio station, cable company,
or television station. Depending on personal choice and which town people live
and work in, they may get their news from any of the following:
Newspapers
• Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth NH), Foster’s Daily Democrat (Dover, NH),
York County Coast Star (based in Kennebunk), York Weekly, York Independent,
Portland Press Herald, etc.
Radio
• Stations commonly listened to are based in Portsmouth, Dover, and Durham,
NH, and Portland, ME.
Television
• Maine channels based in Portland, NH channels based in Manchester and
Durham, Massachusetts channels based in Boston, plus cable access channels
based in York and Portsmouth only.
(Eliot and South Berwick town govern-
ment meetings are not broadcast at all.)
Cable Internet Access
• All four towns have cable internet
access, though not all streets in all towns
have it as of 2003. Two companies pro-
vide it: Comcast and Time Warner.
Cultural Resources
• The Southernmost tip of Maine
offers a rich cultural environment of gal-
leries, historical houses and sites. Each of
the four towns has a historical society,
dedicated to preservation of the area’s
historic sites, monuments, etc., and also
offering museums of local artifacts and
architecture. Examples of resources
include:
Kittery
• The Kittery Historical and Naval
Museum, the Portsmouth Naval
Shipyard museum
Eliot
• #8 Schoolhouse, Frost Garrison,
Hugh Paul Family Farm, William Fogg
Library.
South Berwick
• The Counting House Museum,
The Hamilton House and the Sarah
Orne Jewett House
York
• The Old York Historical Society
cluster, including Jefferd's Tavern, the
“Eliot Festival Day, held
the last weekend in
September, is a gala
celebration of the
community’s rich
artistic heritage and
community spirit.”
“In June, thousands
f l o c k t o [ S o u t h
Berwick’s] Strawberry
Festival for a bowl of
fresh berries capped
with whipped cream,
for a celebration of
the Arts, and for the
hundreds of Crafters
there.”
“In the early years,
while the town of
Portsmouth directly
across the river flour-
ished as a major sea-
port for trans-Atlantic
commerce, Kittery
became the center of
shipbuilding in the
New World. Building
on this traditional local
industry, the first
United States Naval
Shipyard was estab-
lished here in 1800.”
KEYS FESTIVALS & SEASONAL EVENTS
(The KEYS region has a number of festivals and seasonal events.
Here are some examples)
Kittery Various events organized by the Recreation Dept.
Eliot Eliot Festival Day (last Saturday of September)
York Harvestfest (October)
Made in Maine (December)
Festival of Lights (December)
York Days (summer)
Gateway Farmer’s Market (Saturdays throughout
the Summer at the Greater Yorks Region Chamber
of Commerce
S.Berwick Strawberry Festival (last Saturday in June)

KEYS Counts 2004 7
center, and each library offers cultur-
al events and programs for people of
all ages.
Recreation
• Every town in the KEYS area,
except for South Berwick, has a Parks
and Recreation Committee, and each
town has an active Recreation
Department offering extensive activities
open to residents and others.The Adult
Education offices at each high school
also offer recreational programming.
• The outdoor resources are rich,
from coastal beaches and lighthouses to
the shaded paths of Mount
Agamenticus and Vaughn Woods. South
Berwick, York, and Kittery also have
miles of sidewalks through their village areas, where residents can walk safely and
visit with each other.The Eastern Trail, part of the East Coast
Greenway, runs through Kittery, Eliot, and S. Berwick, with
connections to York trails.
• Kittery is the only town with a Recreation Center; the
other towns use school and park facilities for recreation.
South Berwick does have a Community Center/Senior
Center, and York has a Senior Center. Eliot is designing a
Community Center, and has set aside funds
toward building it, with a skateboard park being
constructed in 2003/2004 next to the site.There
are no swimming pools in the KEYS area, other
than at motels, but discussions are ongoing about
building one, perhaps with the involvement of a regional “Y”.
Clubs and Service Organizations
• The KEYS towns have the full complement of service organiza-
tions: Rotary (3), Lions, Kiwanis, International Women’s Club, VFW,
American Legion, Elks, etc.The Chamber of Commerce keeps a listing.
Religious
Organizations
• Religious Organiza-
tions in the KEYS towns
are numerous, offering a
host of different
Protestant Churches and
a few Catholic churches.
However, there are not
many other organized
religions with congregations based in the 4 towns, other than the
Baha’i Faith, with Portsmouth being the location of a Jewish Temple, as
well as places of worship for Unitarian-Universalists and Mormons.
One has to go further afield to find Buddhist, Muslim, or other Faith
Community gathering places.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart data are from the U.S Census, 1990 and 2000. If
you would like more specific or detailed information about any of the data sources, please
see the Source section at the back of this booklet.
Old Gaol, the Old Schoolhouse, the
Emerson-Wilcox House, and the
John Hancock Wharf & Warehouse.
• The area also has a variety of art
associations and galleries/studios (all
four towns), as well as one art school
(Eliot). The Agamenticus Arts and
Heritage Directory, a partnership proj-
ect between the Community Wellness
Coalition and the York Library, with
grants from the Maine Arts Council,
was published in 1999, with hundreds
of listings of local individuals, business-
es, organizations, and associations in the
KEYS towns plus Ogunquit.
Libraries
• Each of the KEYS towns has a
public library in or near the town
communication&culture
KEYS LIBRARIES
Town Library Days Open
Eliot William Fogg Library 5 days/wk
Kittery Rice Public Library 6 days/wk
York York Public Library 4 days/wk
S.Berwick S.Berwick Public Library 6 days/wk
PARKS &
RECREATION
COMMITTEES
Eliot Yes
Kittery Yes
York Yes
S.Berwick No
NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
PER TOWN IN THE KEYS AREA
Kittery 9 churches
Eliot 6 churches plus a Baha’i Assembly
and national conference center
York 8 churches and a Baha’i Assembly
S.Berwick 5 churches and a Baha’i Assembly
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2002
2001
2000
Per Capita Library Circulation Rates,2000–2002
“The Old York Historical
Society offers a variety
of cultural programs
throughout the year
and maintains several
well-preserved and
authentic historic
buildings in York,
including the Old Gaol
(jail), which is the old-
est public building in
North America.”
0
10
20
30
40
50
2002
2001
2000
Per Capita Library Expenditures,2000–2002
National Center for Educational Statistics,2003
National Center for Educational Statistics,2003
Source:Maine Recreation & Parks
Association,2003

KEYS Counts 20048
ENVIRONMENT
This category focuses on land use, conservation and natural
resources; solid waste recycling, fluoridated water, air and
water quality; and hazardous waste sites in the KEYS area.
The environment we live, work and play in is an important factor to our overall
well being as a community. We must consider measures we are taking to conserve
our natural resources, and also the quality of our air and water. Each community is
host to a variety of rare plants and animals, especially in the Mount Agamenticus
area, but there are a number of local coastal waters and rivers and streams that
are considered a priority for Southern York County, which we must pay greater
attention to.The KEYS towns are part of the Piscataqua-Salmon Falls Watershed,
and make up one-third of the Great Bay Estuary.
Land Use, Conservation, and Natural
Resources
• Our area has 10,837 acres in conservation, nearly 9,000 of which are in the
Mount Agamenticus area.
• The Maine Land Trust Network has many state-wide and local trusts through-
out Maine and our communities. Some of these
include but are in no way limited to: the Kittery
Land Trust, the York Land Trust, Inc., the Great
Works Regional Land Trust, Maine Coast Heritage
Trust, Maine Audubon, and Eastern Trail Alliance.
• Due to persistent contamination problems,
there are 3,629 total acres in the KEYS towns
where shellfish harvesting is prohibited.
• Southern Maine is home to the
state’s highest diversity of plant and
animal species.
Solid Waste
Recycling
• Our communities average a 40%
solid waste recycling rate. Eliot boasts
the best rate at just over 50%, while
York’s rate falls below 30%.
Air Quality
• In 2002 the Portsmouth-
Rochester MSA (Metropolitan
Statistical Area), of which the KEYS
towns are part, saw 15 days when the
Air Quality Index was ranked as
“Unhealthy” by the EPA. This is an
increase from the 7 days in 2001, but
a decrease since 1998, when there
were 24 “unhealthy” days.
Water Quality
• The KEYS area has 3 priority
coastal waters (Piscataqua Estuary,
South York
Kittery Eliot York Berwick KEYS County Maine
Rare Plants - # Species 13 19 34 34 128
Rare Animals - # Species 4 5 9 11 44
Prohibited shellﬁsh
harvesting acres 1,263 700 1,515 151 3,629 166,555
Number of “Unhealthy Days” for Portsmouth-Rochester MSA
0
5
10
15
20
25
20022001200019991998
WATER QUALITY
MAINE DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
KEYS Priorities
Coastal waters:
Piscataqua Estuary
Spruce Creek
York River
Rivers and streams
(York County):
GreatWorks River
Salmon Falls River
Environmental Protection Agency,2003
Department of Enivronmental Protection,1998
Marine Natural Areas Program,2003 & Maine Department of Marine Resources,2003

KEYS Counts 2004 9
Spruce Creek [Kittery], and York River [York]) and 2 priority rivers (Great Works
River and Salmon Falls River [South Berwick]). These have all been listed on the
Priority Watersheds List by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP).This means that the DEP sees these bodies of water as having “both signif-
icant value from a regional or statewide perspective, and water quality that is
either impaired or threatened to some degree.” Bodies of water on the list will
receive more immediate assistance from the pollution control efforts.
Fluoridated Water
• Many communities throughout Maine do have fluoridated water supplies, but
none of the towns in our area have a fluoridat-
ed public water supply. Fluoridated water helps
to prevent against dental diseases such as cavi-
ties.Therefore, pediatricians routinely prescribe
fluoride for children to take at a cost to fami-
lies, sometimes not covered by insurance.
Hazardous Waste Sites
• Kittery (Portsmouth Naval Shipyard), South Berwick (Hooper Sands Road)
and York (Empire Knight) are all on the National Priorities List from the EPA for
Hazardous Waste Sites.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart data are from the U.S Census, 1990 and 2000. If you would like
more specific or detailed information about any of the data sources, please see the Source section at the
back of this booklet.
environment
SolidWaste Recycling Rate
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
KEYSS.BerwickYorkEliotKittery
FLUORIDATED PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY
South
Kittery Eliot York Berwick KEYS
No No No No No
Maine State Planning Ofﬁce,2001
Growth in Southern Maine,1940
Urban Density
MatureSuburbanDensity
New Suburban Density
Urban Density
Urban Density

KEYS Counts 200410
economic WELL BEING
This category focuses on income, occupation, employment,
poverty, housing, transportation, commuters, and traffic in
our area.
Southern York County is often seen only as an affluent area with access to the
resources of Portland, Portsmouth and Boston. And if you look at the averages, it
does appear to be this way.The KEYS towns earn about $10,000 more than coun-
ty and state incomes. We also have a slightly lower poverty rate.
However, averages leave out the high and low ends, and do not refect variations in
the cost of living. Cost of living varies from place to place throughout the nation
and is often not considered when looking at census figures or the national poverty
threshold (which for a family of four was $17,463 in 2000).
Please keep in mind the limitations of these data sets as you review the rest of this
section and as we try to provide you with a better sense of the patchwork nature
of our communities’ economic well being.
• The KEYS towns form, along with Berwick, the Kittery-York Labor Market Area
(LMA) and the Kittery-York housing market.We will use figures from these markets
(keeping in mind that Berwick is also
included) for the rest of this topic.
Income
• The KEYS communities have a
higher average income than that of York
County and Maine. The median house-
hold income for KEYS is $51,950 (com-
pared to $43,630 for county and
$37,240 for state).
• The median family income is
$60,338 (compared to $51,419 for
county and $45,179 for state).
• The per capita income for KEYS is
$25,142 (compared to $21,225 for
county and $19,533 for state).
Occupation and
Employment
• Sixty percent of families with
children under 6 years old have both
parents in the workforce, which is
slightly lower than the rate of 66% of
county families and 65% of state fami-
lies. Kittery is highest at 69%.
• In most of the Northeast, workers
experienced higher unemployment rates
in 2002 than in
2001.The KEYS area
experienced a rate
of 2.2% in 2001 and
a rate of 3.8% in
2002. Even with the
increase, the KEYS
towns have a lower
rate than both coun-
ty at 4.6% and state
at 4.4%. Rates were
still increasing in the
first 6 months of
2003, with KEYS
climbing to 4.4%, the
county to 4.9%, and
the state to 5.1%.
KEYS OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT 2000
Occupational % Workers Avg.Yearly
Category Employed Salary
Management/Professional 39 $53,000
Service 12 $32,000
Construction/Maintenance 10 $35,000
Sales/Ofﬁce 27 $27,000
Production/Transportation 12 $27,000
Farming/Fish/Forest <1 $22,000
LIVABLE WAGE / BASIC NEEDS BUDGET FOR
SOUTHERN YORK COUNTY, MAINE
(Basic needs include food,rent / mortgage,utilities,telephone,healthcare,
transportation,childcare,clothing,and taxes.A livable wageindicates
earning enough annually to cover these basic needs.)
Single Parent (1 child) $33,622 annually ($16.16/hr.)
Single Parent (2 children) $41,097 annually ($19.76/hr.)
2 Parents (1 earner;2 children) $43,842 annually ($21.08/hr.)
2 Parents (2 earners;2 children) $51,799 annually ($24.90/hr.)
(These ﬁgures are
from the Maine Center for Economic Policy,1999)
0
1
2
3
4
5
2002
Unemployment
Rate
2001
Unemployment
Rate
MaineYork
County
KEYSSouth
Berwick
YorkEliotKittery
Unemployment Rates,2001–2002
RateUnemployed
MaineDepartment
ofLabor
“MaineCivilianLabor
ForceEstimates”
2001&2002
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
Per Capita Income
Median family income
Median household income
Income Levels 2000
AnnualIncome
*(Household Income includes the income
of the householder and all other individu-
als 15 years old and over in the house-
hold,whether they are related or not.This
is often lower than family income because
many households consist of only one per-
son.Family Income are the incomes of all
members 15 years old and over related to
the householder.)

KEYS Counts 2004 11
• York County Community
Action Corporation also offers
transportation assistance on indi-
vidual-call basis.
Commuters
and Traffic
• About 91% of com-
muters drive to work
(83.2% alone, 7.9% in a car
pool).
• The average
travel time to work
is 24 minutes.
• We are largely
a commuter com-
munity. The KEYS
area has a total of
17,837 commuters:
43% commute with-
in the 4-town KEYS
area, 28% commute
within their own
town, 17% commute
to Portsmouth, 4%
commute to Dover,
2% commute to both
Boston and Portland,
and 1% commute to
Durham.
• Fewer people
commute into our
area. Of the total
14,687 workers in
the KEYS towns,
52% also live within
the four-town area
and 34% live within
the same town. Only
4% commute in from
Portsmouth and 3% in from
Dover.
• Traffic has steadily
been increasing at the “gate-
way to Maine” at the I95
bridge over the past few
decades. In 1979 the aver-
age daily traffic was 28,880.
That number increased to
59,301 in 1989, and
increased even more to
71,176 in 1999.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart
data are from the U.S Census, 1990 and
2000. If you would like more specific or
detailed information about any of the data
sources, please see the Source section at
the back of this booklet.
Poverty
• The KEYS towns have a lower rate
of individuals and families under the
poverty threshold than both county and
state. Five percent of households in our
area have incomes under $10,000 (com-
pared to 8% county and 10% state).
• We have both 6% of persons over
65 years old, and 6% of persons under
18 years old under the poverty thresh-
old (compared to an average of 9% for
county and 11% for state).
Housing Profile
• In the KEYS area, 77% of house-
holders are owners and 23% are
renters.The county and state makeup is
very similar, but each has slightly more
renters.
• The median monthly rent for our
area is $679 (compared to $568 for
county and $497 for state), and 30.3%
of renters are housing cost burdened,
spending 30% or more of their income
on rent.
• The median monthly mortgage for
our area is $355 (compared to $328
for county and $299 for state), and
20.7% of owners are housing cost bur-
dened, spending 30% or more of their
income on housing.
• The median sales price for a home
in the Kittery-York housing market is
$204,000.
Transportation
• We do not have any available
regional public transportation system.
Portsmouth and Dover, NH, and
Sanford, ME all have public transporta-
tion, but they do not come into the
KEYS towns.
• York Hospital and South Berwick
Community Center offer limited trans-
portation assistance.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12 Families -
below poverty
Households -
less than
10,000 income
MaineYork
County
KEYSSouth
Berwick
YorkEliotKittery
Percentofhouseholdsandfamilies
Poverty Status
Children and Elderly Below Poverty
0
3
6
9
12
15
% Children
(<18yrs.)
Below Poverty
% Elderly
(>65yrs.)
Below Poverty
MaineYork
County
KEYSSouth
Berwick
YorkEliotKittery
Percent
I-95 BridgeTraffic
(ME-NH Border)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
Average
Daily
Traffic
199919891979
TrafficCount
(BothDirections)
Source:SouthernMaineRegionalPlanningCommission,2001
Housing Cost Burdened
Percent
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40 Spend
>30% on
mortgage
Spend
>30% on
rent
MaineYork
County
KEYSSouth
Berwick
YorkEliotKittery
economicwellbeing
“Many parts of Maine are riding a wave
of record home prices and rental
inflation. The York-Kittery area leads
the pack, having been identified by the
National Association of Homebuilders as
being the least affordable housing
market in the United States besides
California for the first quarter
of 2002.”
The State of Maine’s Housing, 2002
INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK AT HOME
South
Kittery Eliot York Berwick
Number of Individuals 202 178 314 110
Percent of Population 4.1 5.9 4.9 3.1

KEYS Counts 200412
lifelong LEARNING
This category focuses on student populations, school profiles,
educational attainment of the community, graduation and
drop-out rates, as well as adult, community and alternative
education.
How we are currently doing as a community and how our community will perceive
itself and perform in the future is based largely up to the education of both youth
and adults.This is lifelong learning—making sure that education does not end with
youth after high school, but extends to all ages, skills and learning styles. Higher
education status has been reported to improve income levels and community con-
nectedness. Our communities tend to do well con-
cerning lifelong learning, but as with anything, there
are areas in which we could be stronger.
Student Population
The KEYS towns of Southern York County Maine are
divided into three school districts: the Kittery School
District, the York School District and MSAD 35 or
Marshwood (covering both Eliot and South Berwick).
The 2002 student population by school district is as
follows:
Kittery total = 1184
Horace Mitchell School (K–2) = 247
Frisbee Elementary School (3–5) = 280
Shapleigh Middle School (6–8) = 334
Traip Academy School (9–12) = 323
York total = 2108
Village Elementary School (K–2) = 348
Coastal Ridge Elementary School (2–4) = 389
York Middle School (5–8) = 705
York High School (9–12) = 666
Marshwood total = 2758
Central School, South Berwick
(PK–3) = 502
Eliot Elementary School (PK–3) =
363
Marshwood Middle School (4–5)
= 394
Marshwood Jr. High School (6–8)
= 662
Marshwood High School (9–12)
= 837
Home Schooled total = 126
Kittery = 53
York = 37
Marshwood = 36
School Performance
• School performance has recently
been measured by the standardized
testing format known as the Maine
Educational Attainment (MEA) scores.
• The MEA covers 7 main areas:
reading, writing, math, science/tech-
nology, social studies, visual/perform-
ing arts, and health.
•` Our local schools have better
rates of reading for students at the
4th grade level, but worse rates at the
8th grade level when compared to
the state.
Drop-out Rates
• Both Kittery and York have seen
0
5
10
15
20
11th grade
8th grade
4th grade
MaineYorkMarshwoodKittery
MEA Scores—Students NOT Meeting the Standards
Reading
School
Percentage
MaineDepartmentofEducation,2000
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
MaineYork Co.KEYSYorkMarshwoodKittery
High School Dropout Rate—2001
School
Percentage

KEYS Counts 2004 13
information on applications).
• Nationally, about 21–23% of adults operate at Level 1 (the lowest level of 5),
compared to the 13% here in York County.
Adult and Continuing Education
York—2002
• In York there were 15 high school completion students (87% of whom are 18 or
under), 21 GED students (57% of whom are 18 or under), and 23 adult literacy students.
• In addition,York offered enrichment and quality of life classes to about 2,200 par-
ticipants and vocational programs to about 200 participants.
Marshwood—2002
• Marshwood had 19 high school completion students (49% of whom were 18 or
under), 96 GED students (53% of whom were 18 or under), and 3 adult literacy students.
• In addition, Marshwood offered enrichment and quality of life classes to
about 900 participants and vocational programs to about 200 participants.
Kittery—2002
• Kittery had 29 students who completed high school (7% were under 18), 50
GED students (80% under 18), and 16 adult literacy students.
an increase in the percentage of drop-
outs over the past five years (Marshwood
decreased). These increases have been
higher than those of both county and
state rates. In 2001, York saw a dropout
rate of 3.58, Kittery had a rate of 3.53,
and Marshwood had a rate of 1.73, com-
pared to a state rate of 3.14.
Graduation and Post-
secondary Education
• The three school districts com-
bined see a graduation rate of 85% and
an intent to enroll rate of 60%.
• While Marshwood and York have
graduation rates that are higher than coun-
ty and state rates, Kittery’s rate is lower.
• York has a higher intent to enroll in
post secondary education rate than the
other area schools and the state rate.
Alternative
Education
• York is currently working on estab-
lishing a Multiple Intelligences Education
program in our KEYS communities.
• Students can attend alternative or
vocational programs at other districts,
such as Portsmouth and Dover, NH, and
Sanford, ME.
Educational
Attainment
• Our communities have a slightly
higher rate of adults over age 25 who
have completed high school, college,
and graduate programs, than that of
the county and state.
• Ninety-two percent of adults over
25 have attained a high school diploma
(or equivalent) or higher.
• Forty percent of adults over 25
have attained a college degree or higher.
Adult Literacy
• Thirteen percent of York County
residents operate at Level 1 on the lit-
eracy scale (compared to15% of Maine
residents).
• Level 1 literacy means that a per-
son can perform basic tasks (e.g., sign-
ing his or her name, locating a county in
a paragraph, totaling a bank deposit)
but cannot perform other necessary
functions (e.g., locate an intersection
on a street map, enter background
0
20
40
60
80
100
Intend to Enroll
in Post-secondary
Education
High School
Graduation Rate
MaineKEYSYorkMarshwoodKittery
High School Graduates and
Post-secondary School Plans—2002
School
Percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100 Adults
High School
Grad or Higher
Adults
Bachelors
Degree or Higher
York Co.KEYSS.BerwickYorkEliotKittery
Educational Status 2000
(over 25 pop.)
School
Percentage
USCensusBureau,2000
lifelonglearning

KEYS Counts 200414
This category focuses on causes of death; health envi-
ronment; substance use and abuse; weight, physical activity
and nutrition; vaccines; diabetes and asthma; birth weight
and infant mortality; access to health care and healthcare
coverage, disabilities,AIDS and AIDs cases; mental health
diagnosis and treatment, and suicides in our area.
Self-Reported Health Status
• According to the Maine 2001 Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System, 12% of York County adults
reported having been in fair or poor health over the
past 30 days. This is slightly lower than the 15% who
answered the same at the state level.
Causes of Death
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
death in our state, with 4,550 deaths in 1999. Cancer is
the second leading cause of death with 2,700, followed by chronic obstructive pul-
monary disease with 750
deaths in 1999, and dia-
betes with 350 deaths.
Health
Environment
• The four leading causes
of death in the State of
Maine and in York County
are cardiovascular dis-
ease (including heart
disease and stroke), cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes. Since these lead-
ing causes of death are mostly preventable, our communities are promoting pol-
icy and environmental change that encourage tobacco-free lifestyles, increased phys-
ical activity and good nutrition. All of our KEYS towns prohibit smoking in town
buildings. Kittery has the most progressive municipal policy that does not allow
smoking within 15 feet of town buildings or on municipal grounds. All of our
towns have access to direct-buy vegetables and fruit from farms, and Eliot, South
Berwick and York also have community gardens. None of our towns have a formal
town Pedestrian/Biking Committee; however, both Kittery and Eliot have informal cit-
izen groups working to improve
access to walking and biking paths.
• For a variety of reasons, often
having to do with insurance and
scheduling issues, schools are not
available for the public to use for
physical activity during inclement
weather.
Substance Use/Abuse
• Forty-six percent of our high
school students and 12% of our
middle school students report that they drank alcohol at least once over the past
30 days. A smaller percentage report having binged on alcohol (5 or more drinks) over
the past 2 weeks.That number was 28%
for high school and 4% for middle
school. High school numbers for drink-
ing and binge drinking in our area are
slightly higher than the state average,
but our middle school numbers are
slightly lower than the state average.
• Nineteen percent of high school
students and 4% of middle school stu-
dents in our three school districts
report having used tobacco at least
once over the past 30 days. This is
slightly lower than the state rate of 21%
of high school and 7% of middle school
tobacco use.
• Twenty-eight percent of high school
students and 6% of middle school stu-
dents report having used marijuana at
least once over the past 30 days in our
area. These numbers are slightly higher
than state averages, which are 25% for
high school and
5% for middle
school.
• Ninety-five
percent of the
adult population
in Maine report-
ed having used
alcohol at least
once over the
past month.
CAUSES OF DEATH YORK YORK
1990–2001 MAINE COUNTY HOSPITAL
Cardiovascular Disease 13,467 1844 411
All Cancers 9138 1259 299
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease 2319 283 50
Diabetes 1102 155 19
MotorVehicle Accidents 561 81 13
Suicide 490 59 5
Self-reported
Fair or Poor
Health in
Last 30 Days
Percent
0
3
6
9
12
15
MaineYork Co.
High School Substance Use 2002
0
10
20
30
40
50
Maine
KEYS
York
MSAD 35
Kittery
Marijuana
30-day use
Tobacco
30-day use
Alcohol
2-week binge
Alcohol
30-day use
Percent
Middle School Substance Use 2002
0
3
6
9
12
15
Maine
KEYS
York
MSAD 35
Kittery
Marijuana
30-day use
Tobacco
30-day use
Alcohol
2-week binge
Alcohol
30-day use
Percent
Maine Adult Alcohol Use
0
20
40
60
80
100
Binge drinking
past 30 days
Used alcohol
past 30 days
Percent
OfﬁceofData,ResearchandVitalStatistics,MaineDepartmentofHumanServices,2003
York County
Community
Health Proﬁle,
Maine Dept.of
Human
Services,2000
MaineYouth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey,2002
MaineYouth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey,2002
Behavioral
Risk Factor
Surveillance
System,2001
physical and mental HEALTH
HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT INDICATORS
South
Kittery Eliot York Berwick
Tobacco free municipal building (15' entrance) yes
Tobacco free municipal grounds yes
Pedestrian/biking committee
Schools are open for physical activity
Community gardens yes yes yes
Direct buy from farms available yes yes yes yes

KEYS Counts 2004 15
lifestyle. Only about 21% reported being physically
active, meaning they exercise for 30 minutes 5 times
a week. As for healthy eating habits, only 29% of adults
countywide and 25% statewide reported eating 5 or
more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Vaccines
• Seventy-two percent of Maine’s seniors (65 and
over) had influenza vaccines in 2000, and 65% had
pneumococcal vaccines.
Diabetes and Asthma
• Approximately 6% of the population in
Maine has some form of diabetes,and about 9%
has some form of asthma.
Birth Weight & Infant
Mortality
• In 1999,York County had a rate of 5.6% low
birth-weight infants, and Maine had a slightly
higher rate of 6.0%. From 1995 to 1999,York
County and Maine both saw an infant mortal-
ity rate of 5.3 per 1,000 births.
Access to Healthcare
and Healthcare
Coverage
• Ninety-two percent of chil-
dren under 18, and 88% of all adults
in Maine have healthcare coverage.
• In York County, there are 943
people per doctor, compared to
511 people per doctor in the state
as a whole. In general, our area is
sufficiently covered by an adequate
number of primary care and spe-
cialty physicians. There are 3,012
people per dentist in York county,
and 2,165 people per dentist in
Maine.
Oral Healthcare
Many anecdotes exist from
area physicians and social
service providers regarding
the lack of access to oral
health in our area. Like the
conclusions in a 1999 Maine
report of access to oral health
for the state as a whole from
DHS, our service area also:
• exhibits disparities in access to
oral health care
• has an inadequate number of
practicing dental professionals
• has a very insufficient number
of dentists who accept Maine
Care and Cub Care.
Weight, Physical
Activity and Nutrition
• According to the Maine Youth Risk
Behavior Survey, 2001, 33% of high
school students describe themselves as
being overweight. According to self-
reported height and weight, only 10%
of those taking the YRBS actually were
overweight, while 44% of students sur-
veyed reported that they were current-
ly trying to lose weight.
• Twenty-nine percent of middle
school students taking the YRBS
described themselves as overweight,
although, according to self-reported
height and weight, only 11% actually
were overweight. Forty-six percent are
currently trying to lose weight.
• Fewer than half of Maine high
school students attend P.E. one or more
days per week (5% attend P.E. class
daily). Only a quarter of high school
students eat at least the recommended
5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
Adults
• Approximately 56% of adults in
both York County and Maine are
obese. Approximately 57% of the adult
population reports leading a sedentary
Healthcare Coverage
in Maine
88.5%
11.5%
NoCoverage
Coverage
Maine Seniors
InfluenzaVaccine
72%
28% NoVaccine
Influenza
Vaccine
physical&mentalhealth
Maine Seniors
PneumococcalVaccine
65%
35% NoVaccine
Pnuemococcal
Vaccine
0
2
4
6
8
10 Maine
York Co.
Asthma prevalenceDiabetes prevalence
Prevalence of Diabetes & Asthma
(% of Population) 2000
YOUTH FITNESS IN MAINE
High Middle
School School
Describe self as overweight 33% 29%
Self reported height/weight—overweight 10% 11%
Trying to lose weight 44% 46%
Ate 5 vegetables/fruits/day 25%
Attended P.E class daily 4.8%
Attended P.E 1 or more days/week 41.9%
Healthcare Coverage in Maine:
Children Under 18
92.2%
7.8%
NoCoverage
Coverage
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500 Maine
York Co.
Access to dental care
(pop./dentist)
Access to health care
(pop./doctor)
Access to Healthcare
York County and Maine
Disability Status
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000 KEYS
York
S.Berwick
Eliot
Kittery
>65 years old21-64 years old5-20 years old
BIRTH WEIGHT & INFANT MORTALITY RATES
York Co. Maine
Infant mortality rate 1995-1999 5.6% 6%
% Low birth-weight infants 1999 5.3/1,000 5.3/1,000
0
10
20
30
40
50
60 Maine
York Co.
Eat 5 or
more
fruits /
vegetables
per day
Physically
active
(30 min.
5x week)
Sedentary
lifestyle
Overweight
or obese
AdultWeight and Activity
MaineYouth Risk Behavior Survey,2001
York County Community Health Profile,Maine Department of Human Services,2000
StateHealthFactsOnline,TheHenryJ.KaiserFamilyFoundation,2003
YorkCountyCommunityHealthProfile,Maine
DepartmentofHumanServices,2000
OfficeofData,ResearchandVitalStatistics,MaineDept.ofHumanServices,2003
Maine
Department of
Human Services,
2003
StateHealthFactsOnline,TheHenry
J.KaiserFamilyFoundation,2003
StateHealthFactsOnline,TheHenry
J.KaiserFamilyFoundation,2003

KEYS Counts 200416
Disabilities
• There are 5,084 persons with a disability status in the KEYS
towns. Of this total, 635 (12%) are between 5 and 20 years old,
2,691 (53%) are between 21 and 64 years old, and 1,758 (35%)
are 65 and older.
AIDS and AIDS Cases
• According to AIDS Action, in 2002 there were 42 new diag-
noses and 13 deaths in Maine.York County had 165 cases of AIDS
in 2002. From 1981(when the epidemic began) to 1996, Maine has
had a total of 755 AIDS cases.
Mental Health Diagnosis &
Treatment
• Throughout the course of a year, 28% of the U.S adult popu-
lation and 21% of the U.S. youth population is diagnosed with
some form of mental and/or addictive disorder. Only 8% of the
adult population receives treatment, and only 10% of the youth
population receives treatment.
• According to the Department of Mental Health, Mental
Retardation & Substance Abuse Services, there were 1,572 people
with mental health issues in 1999 in the KEYS area.This figure was
determined by taking the Federal Register’s indication that 2.6% of
the adult population have Severe and Persistent Mental Illness
(SPMI) and that 11% of the children’s population have a Severe
Emotional Disturbance (SED).
High School and Middle School Students
• In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 26% of Maine’s high school
students reported having felt clinical depression (over 2 weeks of
a persistently sad and hopeless mood), 19% reported having seri-
ously considered suicide, 17% reported having made plans for sui-
cide, and 9% reported actually having attempted suicide.
Comparatively, 21% of middle school students reported having seriously consid-
ered suicide, 13% reported having made plans for suicide, and 8% reported actu-
ally having attempted suicide.
Suicide
• Between 1992 and 2001, there were 1,648 suicides in Maine.The vast major-
ity (1,360 or 83%), have been male. In York County over the same time period
there were 195 suicides.
• Thirty-eight of the suicides in York County have been seniors (aged 65 and
over) and 20 have been young adults (aged 15 to 24). Of the total 1,648 suicides
in Maine, 344 have been seniors and 208 have been young adults.
Unless otherwise noted, graph and chart data are from the U.S Census, 1990 and 2000. If you would like
more specific or detailed information about any of the data sources, please see the Source section at the
back of this booklet.
physical&mentalhealth
Mental Health Diagnosis/Treatment
in OneYear
0
5
10
15
20
25
30 U.SYouth
U.S Adults
Receiving
Mental Health
Services
Diagnosis and
Treatment
Diagnosis and
NoTreatment
Mental/Addictive
Disorders
Percent
High School Mental Health in Maine
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Attempt
resulted in
serious injury
Youth
attempted
suicide
Youth made
plans for
suicide
Youth
seriously
considered
suicide
Youth felt
clinical
depression
/6mo.
Percent
Middle School Mental Health in Maine
0
5
10
15
20
25
Youth attempted
suicide
Youth made plans
for suicide
Youth seriously
considered suicide
Percent
Suicides
0
500
1000
1500
2000 York Co.
Maine
Young Adults
(15–24)
Seniors
(65+)
MaleFemale10–year total
(1992–2001)
U.S Surgeon
General,2003
Ofﬁce of Data,
Research andVital
Statistics,Maine
Department
of Human Services,
2003
MaineYouth Risk Behavior Survey,2001
MaineYouth Risk Behavior survey,2001

KEYS Counts 2004 17
Due to space limitations in this report, we were able to
include only some of the data related to each dimension of
well-being. If you would like further information, please
contact the Community Wellness Coalition at (207) 438-
9100 to use resource notebooks located at the Coalition
offices.
Below is a list of sources we used in collecting data for this
assessment.
1. U.S. Census Bureau (1990 and 2000)
http://www.census.gov/
2. Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
http://smrpc.org
3. Maine State Department of Education
http://www.state.me.us/education/homepage.htm
4. Maine Department of Labor
http://www.state.me.us/labor/
5. Kids Count – Annie E. Casey Foundation
http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/databook/
6. Maine State Planning Office
http://www.state.me.us/spo
7. Maine Department of Human Services
http://www.state.me.us/dhs/welcome_to_dhs.htm
8. York County Community Action Corporation
http://www.yccac.org
9. National Association of Home Builders
http://www.nahb.org
10. Maine State Housing Authority
http://www.mainehousing.org
11. Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.state.me.us/dep.blwq/
12. Department of Secretary of State
http://www.state.me.us/sos/
13. Town Clerk Offices
14. Maine Adult Education
http://www.state.me.us/education/aded/homepage.htm
15. Town of York Seasonal Population Study
16. Department of Public Services
http://www.state.me.us/dps/
17. Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov
18. America’s Career Info Net
http://www.acinet.org
19. National Center for Educational Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov and
Maine Libraries
http://www.maine.gov/msl/for_libs/statistics.htm
20. Maine Land Trust Network
http://www.mltn.org
21. Action for Healthy Kids
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org
22. Civic and Government stats
23. Maine Health Data Organization
http://www.mhdo.state.me.us
24. Health Web of Maine
http://www.healthweb.state.me.us
25. U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development
http://www.hud.gov
26. York County Child Abuse and Neglect Council
http://www.yccanc.org
27. Caring Unlimited
http://www.caring-unlimited.org
28. State Health Facts Online
http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org
29. Maine Archives and Museums
http://www.mainemuseums.org
30. Religious Organizations information
31. AIDS Action Council
http://www.thebody.com/aac/statefact/maine.html
32. Mental Health data (U.S. Surgeon General,
DMHMRSAS Systems Report, Region 1)
33. Maine Statistical Analysis Center
http://www.muskie.usm.maine.edu/justicedata
34. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov
35. Species and Land Use Data (Maine Department
of Marine Resources, Wells National Estuarine
Research Reserve, Maine Natural Areas Program).
http://www.wellsreserve.org
sources

This vision for an ideal future was developed by 62 citizens from the Southern York
County area (Kittery, Eliot,York, Ogunquit, and South Berwick) during a three day Future
Search Conference in October of 1997. Contact the Community Wellness Coaltion
(CWC) at 207-438-9100 for more information.
We live, learn, work, and play in Southern York County, Maine. We have gath-
ered as a group of individuals, connected community members, and representatives
of organizations, in an attempt to create a shared vision; an ideal future. We real-
ize the importance of our past as individuals, community members, and residents
of the global village. We value our present, recognize shared issues in our every-
day lives, and take ownership in sharing what we are presently proud and sorry
about. We dream; we envision our community in the future – what we would like
it to look like, what we see as important areas to focus upon, and what we need
and want for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our world.
We see many themes emerging from our shared community visions. These
themes are areas in which we would like to see improvement and growth, or areas
in which we would like to see continued dedication and support.
HOME and FAMILY
The family is together more; increased options for elder care, and for those
who are disabled; housing for all; strong wise women are assets to the com-
munity; birth and death are visible and honored passages; parenting and pro-
fessional life are balanced and both receive respect.
CENTERS
There are centers of various sorts: arts and culture with community theater,
humanities, fitness and sports, drop-in center for youth; cafes and restaurants;
centralized/co-located services; clearing house of information.
ARTS and CULTURE
Music, singing, theater; cafes; integrated cultural and arts resources available
to everyone always.
CONNECTEDNESS / COORDINATION
People are better connected in neighborhoods; staff at centers work togeth-
er and help coordinate services for families; there is a 211 number that con-
nects people to resources.
TRANSPORTATION
A bus picks people up all over town to take them to centers and parks; peo-
ple riding bikes and buses; bike paths and walkways are safe and convenient;
electric cars.
ENVIRONMENTAL / The OUTDOORS
Greenbelts, parks, and paths for playing and gathering; environment is cared
for; gardens, woods; community gardens in neighborhoods and town cen-
ters; semi-rural environment with village revitalization; good air and water
quality.
SPIRITUALITY
Community is spiritual and values centered; less materialism; an Interfaith
Council; a program on values in the schools; peace and caring; lots of com-
munity support when you need it.
our VISIONLEARNING
School and work are combined
and you learn by doing; the com-
munity is the classroom; the
schools are open all year round
and all the centers teach; all learn-
ing styles respected and accommo-
dated; there are academic and recre-
ation programs with extended day.
PHYSICAL and MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Healthcare services take care of
you the way you want to be taken
care of (choices); universal health-
care coverage; wholistic; on-line
access of family medical records;
focus on prevention; counseling for
all mentally ill at the community
center; alternative healing available.
WORK, JOBS, and SERVICE
The Chamber of Commerce offers
new business support; jobs are
available; there is a volunteer skill
bank organized; senior citizens
have many opportunities to learn
and serve; coordinated resources
for student community service.
We hope to see these themes grow-
ing and developing for, within, and by
our community. We plan to continue
working with each other as members
of the same community, rather than
vying with each other as different sec-
tors/agencies/groups. We realize the
importance of a healthy community
and will continue to work towards
achieving this ideal future.
SouthernYork County, Maine
CWC

keyscounts2004

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