Compare towns
Bath vs Eliot vs Brewer vs West Bath
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%).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
West Bath has the oldest population (median age 54.2).
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 | Eliot | Brewer | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
7,146 |
9,652Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
50.8±5.9 13% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| West Bath and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Eliot 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% |
27.8%±6.2 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Eliot 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% |
43.6% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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±$12k 7% below ME |
$101,522±$10k 36% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath and Eliot 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 |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
| Eliot and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 9% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Eliot 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 | #19 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Brewer Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brewer High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0Lowest |
— |
| 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.