Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs Brewer 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 oldest population (median age 45.4).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Brewer | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
22,336Highest |
9,652 |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| 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% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick 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 |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 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% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
23 min 5% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Brewer Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Brunswick High School | Brewer High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
10.9Lowest |
14.0 |
12.7 |
| 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.