Compare towns
Bath vs Ellsworth vs Smithfield
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%).
Smithfield has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
8,657 |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Bath 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%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Smithfield 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest 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 |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
| Smithfield 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±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$242,800±$15k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,109±$358Highest about the ME average |
| Smithfield and 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 |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$2,866Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Highest 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 |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 5 photos → | 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.