Compare towns
Bath vs Brewer vs Dummer vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Dummer has the most homeowners (94.2%).
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 | Brewer | Dummer | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
9,652Highest |
299Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
53.6±6.4Highest 38% above U.S. |
43±2.4 11% above U.S. |
| Dummer 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 U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.4%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.4%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bath and Brewer 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
35% U.S.: 35.7% |
16.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brewer and Bath 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 14% below U.S. |
$66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$91,250±$21kHighest 13% above U.S. |
$77,375±$18k 4% below U.S. |
| Dummer 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 7% below U.S. |
$245,300±$21k 26% below U.S. |
$242,200±$51kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$242,300±$22k 27% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
$1,086±$54Highest 23% below U.S. |
— | $1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 23% above U.S. |
$3,374 8% above U.S. |
$2,898Lowest 7% below U.S. |
$3,262 5% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.7%±13.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 5% below U.S. |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #31 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Brewer Public Schools | — | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Brewer High School | — | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
14.0 |
— | 12.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.