Compare towns
Bath vs Cumberland vs Ellsworth
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 population (median age 45.4).
Cumberland has the highest household income ($174k).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k 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 | Cumberland | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
8,647Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+17.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
41.9±4Lowest 6% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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% |
25.6%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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% |
72.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$173,894±$20kHighest 133% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$616,800±$42kHighest 108% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$2,143±$759Highest 88% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$7,116Highest 134% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
47.1%±31.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
24 min about the ME average |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
25.3%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cumberland 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 | #25 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 51/MSAD 51 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Greely High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
9.5Lowest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.