Compare towns
Bath vs Beals vs Brewer vs Brunswick
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Beals has the most homeowners (83.9%).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Beals | Brewer | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
498Lowest |
9,652 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Beals and Bath 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% |
16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Brunswick 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% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals 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% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| Brunswick 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 |
$256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Brewer 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% |
10.8% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
83.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
21 min 17% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Beals Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brewer High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0 |
10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.