Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs Phippsburg vs Rockland
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).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Phippsburg has the highest household income ($108k).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
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 | Phippsburg | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
17,652Highest |
2,238Lowest |
7,035 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
54.3±6.3Highest 21% above ME |
49.3±6 10% above ME |
| Phippsburg and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 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% |
34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.7% ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$363,200±$18kHighest 22% above ME |
$335,800±$47k 13% above ME |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
| Brunswick and Phippsburg 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 |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
$4,059 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Rockland 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% |
8.6% ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
81.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 7% below ME |
21 min 13% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland 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 | — | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | None in town | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | — | 10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.