Compare towns
Bath vs Barnstead vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Barnstead has the highest household income ($112k).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | Barnstead | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
4,994Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest 17% above U.S. |
42.8±3.1Lowest 10% above U.S. |
43±2.4 11% above U.S. |
| 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 U.S.: 22% |
21%±5Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Barnstead 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barnstead 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±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$111,660±$12kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$77,375±$18k 4% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 7% below U.S. |
$362,400±$25kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Barnstead 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 26% below U.S. |
$1,395±$75Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 23% above U.S. |
$6,003Highest 92% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
47.6%±50.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 18% above U.S. |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bath and Barnstead 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 | #111 of 120 in NH | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Barnstead School District | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
U.S. 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.