Compare towns
Bath vs Bowdoin vs Ellsworth
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%).
Bowdoin has the most homeowners (84.7%).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Bowdoin | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
3,188Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
44.3±10 about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Bath and Bowdoin 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% |
19.1%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Bowdoin 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 ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| 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 ME: 36.2% |
30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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 7% below ME |
$91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Bowdoin and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$292,800±$71k about the ME average |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Bath and Bowdoin 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 |
— | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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 |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| 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 ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Bowdoin 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | 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 | 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.