Compare towns
Bath vs Canton vs Jay vs Brunswick
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).
Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.6%).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
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 | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,191Lowest |
4,657 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% 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 |
40±2.8 11% 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% |
17.2%±2.2 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% |
22.9%±2.2 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% ME: 36.2% |
23.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$52,458±$35kLowest 30% below ME |
$70,238±$19k 6% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| Brunswick and Jay 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 |
$165,000±$50kLowest 44% below ME |
$168,600±$27k 43% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
$759±$141 33% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,277 25% below ME |
$2,245Lowest 26% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above 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% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Canton and Brunswick 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% ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1982Highest 5 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 |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | RSU 73 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Spruce Mountain High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.7 |
10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.