Compare towns
Bath vs Fall River vs Ellsworth vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Fall River has the most renters (64.7% rent).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | Fall River | Ellsworth | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
94,082Highest |
8,657 |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
39.3±1.2Lowest about the U.S. average |
43±2.4 11% above U.S. |
54.2±5.6Highest 39% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±1.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Fall River 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.4%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
16.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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±$12k 14% below U.S. |
$56,673±$3kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$77,375±$18k 4% below U.S. |
$103,333±$27kHighest 28% above U.S. |
| West Bath 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 7% below U.S. |
$395,500±$11k 19% above U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$422,800±$102kHighest 27% above U.S. |
| West Bath and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
$1,155±$27Highest 18% below U.S. |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,112±$327 21% below U.S. |
| Fall River and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 23% above U.S. |
$3,953Highest 27% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$3,516 13% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
35.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1945 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 22% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.1%±6.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| 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 | #262 of 282 in MA | #63 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Ellsworth Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | B M C Durfee High | Ellsworth High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.3Lowest |
12.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → | None yet |
U.S. 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.