Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs West Bath vs Ellsworth
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 people working from home (19.3%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
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 | West Bath | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
17,652Highest |
1,863Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick 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%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| West Bath and Ellsworth 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±$18k 22% above ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| West Bath and Brunswick 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 |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Brunswick and West Bath 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 |
$3,516 16% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
23 min 7% below ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest 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 | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | West Bath Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | — | 12.7Lowest |
| 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.