Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs Lee
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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Lee has the highest household income ($132k).
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 | Brunswick | Lee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
17,652Highest |
4,576Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest 17% above U.S. |
37.9±2.2Lowest about the U.S. average |
42.9±1.9 10% above U.S. |
| Bath and Lee 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% |
16.1%±2.5 U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Lee 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% |
23%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±6.8Lowest 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
51.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
50.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
15.4%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$70,722±$5k 12% below U.S. |
$131,579±$54kHighest 63% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$363,200±$18k 9% above U.S. |
$480,600±$61kHighest 44% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,465±$100Highest 4% above U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$4,477 44% above U.S. |
$9,661Highest 210% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
58.8%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.3%±53.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
18%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.6%±8.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Lee 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #3 of 120 in NH |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 10 photos → |
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.