Compare towns
Bath vs Brewer vs Gardiner vs Rockland
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 expensive homes ($311k median).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
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 | Gardiner | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
9,652Highest |
6,088Lowest |
7,035 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
42±3.6 6% below ME |
49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
| Rockland 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% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Gardiner 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% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland 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% ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| 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 7% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$71,782±$10kHighest 4% below ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Gardiner 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±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$245,800±$38k 17% below ME |
| Bath and Rockland 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 |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Gardiner and Rockland 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 |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
$4,059Highest 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland and Brewer 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% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1959Highest 18 yrs older than ME |
1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
17 min 31% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Brewer High School | Gardiner Area High School | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
14.0 |
11.8 |
10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.