Compare towns
Bath vs Auburn vs West Bath
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.4%).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
24,602Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+4.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
41.4±2.7Lowest 8% below ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±2.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Auburn and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Lowest 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 |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath 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±$30k 5% above ME |
$282,000±$12kLowest 5% below ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,112±$327Highest about the ME average |
| West Bath and Bath 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 |
$3,516Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
53.4%±7.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Auburn and Bath 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1954 23 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
22 min 12% below ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and West Bath 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Auburn Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Edward Little High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
13.1Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.