Compare towns
Bath vs Auburn vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Auburn has the most kids (21.4% under 18).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Bath | Auburn | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
24,602Highest |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
41.4±2.7Lowest 8% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±2.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Auburn and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Bath and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Highest 8% below ME |
$1,041±$74 9% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Bath and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,687 21% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1954 23 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
22 minLowest 12% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Auburn 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #110 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Auburn Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Edward Little High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
13.1 |
12.7Lowest |
| 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.