Compare towns
Bath vs Eliot vs Brunswick vs Rockland
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 housing (typical home built 1938).
Eliot has the highest household income ($102k).
Brunswick has the youngest population (median age 40).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
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 | Brunswick | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
7,146 |
22,336Highest |
7,035Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
49.3±6 10% above ME |
| Eliot and Rockland 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% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick 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%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Rockland 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% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,469±$99 29% above ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Eliot and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,549 50% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$4,059 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland 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% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 9% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland and Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brunswick High School | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 10.9 |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.