Compare towns
Bath vs Gardiner vs Chapman
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).
Gardiner has the youngest population (median age 42).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% 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 | Gardiner | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
6,088 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
45.7±11.4Highest about the ME average |
| Chapman and Bath 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% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman 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% |
29.8% ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Chapman 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 |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Chapman and Gardiner 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 |
$221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$185,700±$22kLowest 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Gardiner 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 |
$2,742 10% below ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Gardiner 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% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Gardiner 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | — |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Gardiner Area High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.8Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.