Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs Old Orchard Beach
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).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Old Orchard Beach has the oldest population (median age 58).
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 | Old Orchard Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
17,652Highest |
9,244 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
58±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.5%±2Lowest 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% |
23%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
33.5%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Old Orchard Beach 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
7%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$70,722±$5kHighest 5% below ME |
$60,050±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
| 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±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
$366,600±$38kHighest 24% above ME |
| Old Orchard Beach 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 |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,246±$182 9% above ME |
| Brunswick and Old Orchard Beach 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 |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$3,426Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.7%±15Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 7% below ME |
22 minLowest 11% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
15%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Brunswick 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 | #67 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | RSU 23 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Old Orchard Beach High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 7.6Lowest |
| 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.