Compare towns
Bath vs Ellsworth vs Gray 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%).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Gray has the most kids (19% 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 | Ellsworth | Gray | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
8,657 |
8,429 |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray 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% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath 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% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray 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 |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath and Gray 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 |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Gray 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 |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Gray and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Gray 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% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and West 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7 |
12.5Lowest |
— |
| 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.