Compare towns
Bath vs Dedham vs Surry 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 most people working from home (19.3%).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
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 | Dedham | Surry | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
1,656Lowest |
1,836 |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Surry 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 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth 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% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Surry 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% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
38.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest 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 |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth 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 |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Dedham and Bath 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 |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Dedham and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Ellsworth 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% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 22% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Surry 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 | — | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Dedham Public Schools | Surry Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | — | 12.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.