Compare towns
Bath vs Ellsworth vs Old Town
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 expensive homes ($311k median).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Old Town has the most kids (21.8% under 18).
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 | Old Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
8,657 |
7,470Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
37±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Old Town and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
36.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Old Town 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 |
$77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
$51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$208,100±$26kLowest 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Highest 8% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
$989±$100Lowest 13% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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 |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$3,153Lowest 4% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Bath 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% |
9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1963 14 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
20 minLowest 18% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #56 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School | Old Town High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7Lowest |
12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.