Compare towns
Bath vs Friendship 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+3%).
Friendship has the most affordable homes ($275k median).
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 | Friendship | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
1,213Lowest |
1,863 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
55.5±6.9Highest 24% above ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Friendship and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bath and Friendship are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
37.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Friendship and West 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% |
39.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.8%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and West 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±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$75,625±$22k about the ME average |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath and Friendship 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 |
$275,000±$56kLowest 7% below ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,370±$53Highest 20% above ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Friendship 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 |
$2,218Lowest 27% below ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.5%±42.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and West 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% |
10% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1973 4 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.9%±7.4 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Friendship 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | — |
| 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.