What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).

Dedham has the most expensive homes ($662k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bath	Dedham
People
Population	8,815Lowest	25,237Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.4±3Highest 17% above U.S.	44.6±1.6Lowest 15% above U.S.
	Bath and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.5%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dedham and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	21.9%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bath and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	55%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dedham 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±$12kLowest 14% below U.S.	$128,955±$10kHighest 60% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S.	$661,800±$16kHighest 99% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S.	$2,042±$182Highest 45% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$7,918Highest 154% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.3%±15.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	56.4%±10Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dedham 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 U.S.: 12.5%	5.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	73.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	1956Highest 24 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below U.S.	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	19.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	20%±2.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dedham 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	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	RSU 01 - LKRSU	Dedham
High school in town	Morse High School	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.8Highest	10.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.