Compare towns
Bath vs Ellsworth vs Wayne vs Brewer
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).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Ellsworth | Wayne | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,657 |
1,101Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer 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%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne 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% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Wayne 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±$18k 4% above ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Wayne 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±$30k 5% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Wayne and Bath 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±$195 11% below ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
| Brewer 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 |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brewer 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% ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 38 | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School | None in town | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7Lowest |
— | 14.0 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 5 photos → | 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.