Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Moving to Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Cape Elizabeth is a quiet, ocean-facing community of roughly 9,827 residents (U.S. Census estimate, July 1, 2025) sitting about five miles southeast of Portland on 14.85 square miles of land. You get three public schools, state park beaches, a trail network, and quick access to Portland’s job and hospital market. You also get high home values, thin rental inventory, and near-total car dependence. If you’re weighing this move as a renter, remote worker, family, or buyer, here’s what to expect on cost, schools, neighborhoods, jobs, healthcare, food, and the paperwork Maine will want from you in your first 30 days.

Two things to hold onto. Cape Elizabeth is residential, not a job or shopping center, so daily life is regional and split between Cape and Portland/South Portland. And Census five-year estimates set your baseline, not your budget. Live listings set the reality.

Cape Elizabeth at a Glance: A Coastal Town Five Miles from Downtown Portland

The town wraps around a rocky stretch of Casco Bay shoreline with two state parks, working farms, and long residential streets. There’s no downtown-style commercial core here. Its history is rich in farming and fishing with a summer-cottage era layered on top, and that mix still shows in the housing stock. Water and sewer come from the Portland Water District and electricity from Central Maine Power, so even your utilities are regional. The town runs a full-time police department, fire and rescue, public works, and a library. Taken together, the figures below describe an affluent community whose biggest practical asset is proximity to a working city.

What Does Living in Cape Elizabeth Cost?

Housing costs and property taxes

Census five-year estimates for 2020-2024 put the median owner-occupied home value at $731,600, median monthly owner costs with a mortgage at $2,747, costs without a mortgage at $1,072, and median gross rent at $2,185.

For fiscal year 2026-2027, the town’s property tax rate is $12.59 per $1,000 of assessed value (municipal $2.82, county $0.61, school $9.16). Run your own number: assessed value × 12.59 ÷ 1,000. Assessment date is April 1, the certified ratio is 100%, and the town lists a $25,000 homestead exemption. Payments are due October 15, 2026 and April 15, 2027, with an abatement deadline of February 8, 2027. Confirm all of it with the assessor before you budget.

The costs people forget

Heating fuel through a Maine winter. Snow removal, whether you’re paying a plow service or buying the equipment. Homeowners and possibly flood insurance. A second vehicle, because most families here need one. Longer runs for groceries and fuel add up too.

Those Census figures are estimates, not this month’s asking prices. Check live listings, then run your real cost of living through our Cost of Living Calculator and Rent Calculator.

Renting vs. Buying in Cape Elizabeth

With 88.0% of housing owner-occupied, long-term rentals turn over slowly and, as in most coastal areas, they list on a seasonal rhythm. A town housing study (using 2020 Census and 2016-2020 ACS data) flagged low overall rental inventory as a structural barrier for families and individuals trying to move in. Start searching early and be ready to act fast.

Ask these before you sign or close:

• Is the property on the town sewer map or a subsurface septic system?
• Who handles snow removal and lawn care?
• What’s the heating fuel, and what did it cost last year?
• What are the driveway and on-street rules, and where do friends park when they visit?
• Which internet provider serves that exact address, at what speed, with what install lead time?
• What’s the flood zone? Check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center by address.

Weigh both paths with our Rent vs. Buy Calculator and Mortgage Calculator. KT Rents is a full-service, broker-owned management company operating nationwide, and we’re happy to talk through either side of that decision.

Cape Elizabeth Neighborhoods: Town Center, Cape Cottage, Two Lights and the Shore Road Corridor

Cape Elizabeth doesn’t have formal neighborhoods the way a city does. You’ll hear residents describe areas by road and landmark, so treat the names below as informal geography, and note that day-to-day amenities cluster near Town Center. Confirm any specific address against the town’s property and land-use map resources.

Sewer-map status varies parcel by parcel across all of these. Verify by address, not by area.

What Are the Public Schools in Cape Elizabeth?

The Cape Elizabeth School Department runs three schools: Pond Cove Elementary School (K-4), Cape Elizabeth Middle School (5-8), and Cape Elizabeth High School (9-12). Some relocation guides list these grade ranges incorrectly, so go by the district. Maine DOE’s October 2025 survey reported 571 students at Pond Cove, 451 at the middle school, and 470 at the high school, for a district total of 1,492.

For the 2026-2027 year, kindergarteners must turn five on or before October 15, 2026. Registration runs through PowerSchool and requires a birth certificate, immunization documentation, and proof of residency. A middle school and Pond Cove construction project began in June 2026, so check current arrival, drop-off, and bus-loop notices with the district. For official performance data, use the Maine DOE ESSA Dashboard, then take a tour in person and ask about programs and services directly.

Jobs, Remote Work, and the Commute to Downtown Portland

You live in Cape Elizabeth, you work in the region. A town analysis using 2016-2020 data estimated that 91% of working residents held jobs outside town, while 72% of people working in Cape commuted in.

The real job market is the Portland-South Portland metro. BLS reported a preliminary July 2026 labor force of about 322,400 and employment of about 314,300, with major sectors including education and health services, trade and transportation, professional and business services, finance, manufacturing, government, and hospitality. Monthly figures move, so check the current release.

Remote workers: 97.7% of households reported a broadband subscription (Census 2020-2024). Still verify the provider, actual speed, cellular reception, and install timeline at your specific address before signing anything.

Getting Around: Do You Need a Car in Cape Elizabeth?

Plan on a car. Greater Portland Transit’s fixed routes cover Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth, Gorham, Yarmouth, Freeport, and Brunswick, and Cape Elizabeth isn’t among them, though you should re-check current route and on-demand options before you move. Sidewalks are limited outside a few corridors. Winter means snow removal responsibility and slower drives, and summer brings real congestion and parking pressure near the beaches and Fort Williams Park. For Boston trips, the Downeaster runs from Portland station to North Station on a schedule effective May 18, 2026. Verify times before you travel.

Hospitals, Urgent Care and Emergency Services Near Cape Elizabeth

Residents typically use Portland-area hospitals. MaineHealth Maine Medical Center’s Portland Emergency Department at 22 Bramhall Street provides emergency and pediatric emergency care, and the Portland campus is identified as Maine’s only Level I trauma center, with a dedicated children’s hospital and comprehensive stroke services. Northern Light Mercy Hospital’s emergency department at 175 Fore River Parkway is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MaineHealth also lists urgent and same-day care in Portland and South Portland. Confirm your route, your insurance network participation, and whether a location bills as urgent care or hospital-based emergency care before you need it. Cape Elizabeth runs its own full-time police and fire/rescue departments.

Things to Do: Portland Head Light, Fort Williams, Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove

Parks, beaches and trails

Fort Williams Park is the anchor. The iconic Portland Head Light stands at its edge, one of the oldest working lighthouses in the country and a spot people fly in from around the world to photograph, with a museum in the former keepers’ quarters that walks you through its history. Crescent Beach State Park is the swimming beach, with Kettle Cove next door for tide pools and calmer water. Two Lights State Park trades sand for rocky headland, picnic tables, and long ocean views over the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Great Pond adds trails, fishing, and a boat launch, and boating on Casco Bay is a short drive north. Then there’s the Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt, the everyday one: a trail network you can explore year-round for free. State parks and some facilities require passes, fees, or reservations, so check the town’s parks and recreation page before you go.

Winter, community life and the wider Portland scene

Richards Community Pool is a six-lane, 25-yard pool used for lessons, lap swimming, and school teams, and the town runs community education and recreation programs alongside the library. That’s what winter looks like here, plus a busy calendar of school events and road races. Arts, nightlife, and larger cultural options are a short drive away in Portland. Watch for summer road closures and event traffic if you live near the waterfront streets.

Groceries, Farmers Markets and the Local Food Scene

The in-town commercial footprint is small: a handful of cafés, markets, farm stands, and seasonal food vendors at Fort Williams Park. If you want classic lobster shack fare, the coast delivers in season. Farm markets are a genuine part of daily life, and the town’s farming history is still visible in the fields you drive past. Big grocery runs and most sit-down dining happen in South Portland or Portland, and the town’s own restaurants and markets directory lists establishments in both towns. Browse it rather than trusting a ranked list from a stranger. House-hunting from out of state and staying at a local inn for a few nights? Book early for summer.

Your First 30 Days: A Checklist for Moving to Cape Elizabeth Maine

1. Get a Maine driver’s license within 30 days of establishing residency (Maine BMV).
2. Convert your vehicle registration and title within 30 days. Registration starts at the town office, where you pay municipal excise tax. Bring the out-of-state title (where applicable), registration certificate, insurance evidence, current mileage, lienholder information, and proof of residency.
3. Set up utilities: Central Maine Power, Portland Water District, heating fuel, and internet.
4. Register students with a birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of residency.
5. Get your recycling center permit before you haul moving stuff over. Hours are Tuesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours, fees, and accepted materials change, so verify with the town.
6. Register to vote and sign up for town emergency alerts.
7. File your USPS change of address and confirm trash pickup, sewer or septic service, and snow removal at your property.

Last verified: rent, tax, transit, school, and short-term rental details confirmed against official sources as of publication. Re-check current figures with the town and agencies before acting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Planning Your Move? KT Rents Can Help

Run the numbers first. Our Rent Calculator, Rent vs. Buy Calculator, Mortgage Calculator, and Cost of Living Calculator will tell you what a coastal Maine budget actually looks like, then you can browse rental listings and submit an application. Find Your Perfect Home Near You. Search Now.

Buying here as an investment instead? We’ve been doing this since 2009, we’re broker-owned, and as of early 2025 we managed 683 units across 34 states with $187M in assets under management, at a reported 98% occupancy rate. We handle tenant placement, tenant screening, rent collection, property maintenance, rental permits, 1099s, property inspections and court evictions… without the owner lifting a finger, for what we like to call the price of a cup of coffee and a donut per day.

GET STARTED WITH US TODAY. Call (800) 716-4950, text (608) 207-0657, or email info@ktrents.com. Forms get a response within 24 hours. Your Rental. Your Way.