Compare towns
Bath vs Boothbay vs Brewer
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%).
Boothbay has the oldest population (median age 56.8).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
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 | Boothbay | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
3,102Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
56.8±3.9Highest 27% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer 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% |
35.4%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Boothbay 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% |
51.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kHighest 7% below ME |
$60,320±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Bath and Brewer 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 |
$342,100±$43kHighest 15% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Boothbay and Bath 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 |
$1,147±$121Highest about the ME average |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Boothbay and Brewer 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 |
$2,202Lowest 27% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
30.4%±31Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer 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% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
78.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1976Highest 1 yr older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
13 minLowest 46% below ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #31 of 133 in ME | — | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.