Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick 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%).
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 | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
17,652Highest |
7,035Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest 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 |
49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
| Rockland and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest 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% |
25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland 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% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest 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% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$70,722±$5kHighest 5% below ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% 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±$30k 5% above ME |
$363,200±$18kHighest 22% above ME |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$4,059 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest 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%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
66.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 7% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2Lowest 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 | — | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | 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 |
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.