Compare towns
Bath vs Bar Harbor vs Kittery
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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Bar Harbor has the most expensive homes ($538k median).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
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 | Bar Harbor | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
5,244Lowest |
10,473Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Bath and Kittery 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% |
25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
| Kittery and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$468,500±$31k 58% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,106±$351 about the ME average |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,279 41% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.1% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery and Bar Harbor 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 | #2 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Mt Desert Island High School | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
8.2Lowest |
9.9 |
| 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.