Compare towns
Bath vs Buxton vs Standish
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%).
Buxton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.3%).
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
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 | Buxton | Standish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,512Lowest |
10,662Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
40.5±2.8Lowest 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% |
16.4%±3.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Standish and Buxton 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% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Buxton 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
$104,593±$15kHighest 40% above ME |
| Standish and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$356,800±$21kHighest 20% above ME |
$336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
| Buxton and Standish 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 |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish 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% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Standish 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 | #18 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Bonny Eagle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
| 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.