Compare towns
Bath vs Canton vs Jay
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 expensive homes ($311k median).
Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.6%).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 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 | Canton | Jay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
1,191Lowest |
4,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
41.4±7.2 8% below ME |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
| Bath and Canton 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% |
20.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Canton and Jay 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% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Canton 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Jay 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 |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
| Jay and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
$168,600±$27k 43% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Highest 8% below ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
$759±$141 33% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$2,277 25% below ME |
$2,245Lowest 26% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Canton 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% |
8.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Canton 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | RSU 73 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Spruce Mountain High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.7Lowest |
| 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.