Compare towns
Bath vs Berwick vs Franklin
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%).
Berwick has the most kids (22.5% under 18).
Franklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
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 | Berwick | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
1,998 |
1,628Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.1% ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
42.6±3.6Lowest 5% below ME |
46±9.3Highest about the ME average |
| Franklin 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% |
22.5%±12.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Berwick and Franklin 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% |
16.9%±8.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Franklin 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.4% ME: 36.2% |
28.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Franklin 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 |
$81,406±$39kHighest 9% above ME |
$65,455±$16kLowest 12% below ME |
| Berwick 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 |
$323,300±$36kHighest 9% above ME |
$245,800±$59kLowest 17% below ME |
| Berwick and Bath 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±$901 9% below ME |
$888±$306Lowest 22% below ME |
| Bath and Berwick 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 |
$3,806 25% above ME |
$2,231Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.9%±45.2 ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Berwick 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% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
73% ME: 74.3% |
76.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
29 min 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.7%±7.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Berwick 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | — |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | — |
| 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.