Compare towns
Bath vs Bowdoinham vs Topsham
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 renters (35.7% rent).
Bowdoinham has the highest household income ($108k).
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
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 | Bowdoinham | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
3,142Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
51.9±13.1Highest 16% above ME |
44.7±4Lowest about the ME average |
| Bowdoinham 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% |
17.5%±6.8 ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Bowdoinham 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% |
21.4%±6.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.8% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Topsham 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 |
$108,479±$21kHighest 45% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
| Bowdoinham and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$405,500±$105kHighest 37% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Bowdoinham and Topsham 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 |
— | $1,355±$642Highest 19% above ME |
| Topsham and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,958Lowest about the ME average |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
100%±19.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
13.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
27 minHighest 10% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
22%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowdoinham 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 | #73 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.