Compare towns
Bath vs Bristol 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 most affordable homes ($311k median).
Bristol has the highest household income ($101k).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Bristol | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
2,917Lowest |
17,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
61±3.2Highest 36% above ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Bath 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% |
42.8%±8.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
52.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
51.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$100,750±$19kHighest 35% above ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$406,400±$54kHighest 37% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
| Bristol and Brunswick 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 |
$1,051±$106 8% below ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,668Lowest 12% below ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
23.4%±19.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1968 9 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
25%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bristol 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 | #16 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Bristol Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | — |
| 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.