Compare towns
Bath vs Brewer vs Vinalhaven vs Brunswick
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
Vinalhaven has the oldest population (median age 65.1).
Brunswick has the highest household income ($75k).
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 | Vinalhaven | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
9,652 |
1,216Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
65.1±3.9Highest 45% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.2%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
50.4%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.7% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$72,963±$11k about the ME average |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| Brunswick and Vinalhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$428,400±$44kHighest 44% above ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
| Vinalhaven and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$924Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,598 19% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
53.6%±41.5 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| 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 |
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.