Compare towns
Bath vs Brunswick vs Dresden
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 renters (35.7% rent).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Dresden has the most homeowners (88.2%).
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 | Dresden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
22,336Highest |
1,645Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
55.1±7.9Highest 23% above ME |
| Dresden 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% |
17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
17%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Dresden 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%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.8%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Dresden 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% |
30.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
$74,844±$22k about the ME average |
| Brunswick and Dresden 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 |
$240,100±$29kLowest 19% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,194±$502 5% above ME |
| Brunswick and Dresden 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 |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$2,500Lowest 18% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
13.2%±26Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
88.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
33 minHighest 35% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.7%±2.8Lowest 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 02 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
10.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.