Compare towns
Bath vs Brewer vs Plainfield vs Brunswick
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Plainfield has the most homeowners (80.9%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Plainfield | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
9,652 |
1,314Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
40.1±4.8 3% above U.S. |
48.1±5.5Highest 24% above U.S. |
40±2.8Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Plainfield 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% |
16.3%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and Brunswick 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% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.9%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bath and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
35%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.7%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.3%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 14% below U.S. |
$66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$69,250±$31k 14% below U.S. |
$74,952±$6kHighest 7% below U.S. |
| Brunswick 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±$30k 7% below U.S. |
$245,300±$21kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$318,400±$34k 4% below U.S. |
$376,300±$15kHighest 13% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,086±$54 23% below U.S. |
$1,153±$103 18% below U.S. |
$1,469±$99Highest 4% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 23% above U.S. |
$3,374Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$4,806Highest 54% above U.S. |
$4,756 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.7%±13.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
73.2%±53.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±8.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Plainfield and Brunswick 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% |
11.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1955 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 9% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 9% below U.S. |
23 min 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.4%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Brewer Public Schools | — | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Brewer High School | — | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
14.0 |
— | 10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.