Compare towns
Bath vs Buxton vs Poland vs Brewer
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).
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
Poland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.9%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Buxton | Poland | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,512 |
5,954Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
44.2±9.4 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Buxton 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% |
16.2%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Poland and Brewer 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% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3% ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$85,557±$23k 14% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Buxton and Poland 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 |
$356,800±$21kHighest 20% above ME |
$283,600±$44k 4% below ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Buxton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,198±$128 5% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Brewer 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% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland 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 | #104 of 133 in ME | #81 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 16 | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Poland Regional H S | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
14.0 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.