Compare towns
Bath vs Gardiner vs Orland
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 shortest commute (24 min average).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Orland has the most homeowners (87.5%).
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 | Orland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
6,088 |
1,915Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
50.6±4.2Highest 13% above ME |
| Orland and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.8%±5.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gardiner 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% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Orland 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
31.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Orland and 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±$12k 7% below ME |
$71,782±$10kHighest 4% below ME |
$69,348±$29kLowest 7% below ME |
| Gardiner and Bath 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±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$277,100±$20k 7% below ME |
| Bath and Orland 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 |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$1,149±$177Highest about the ME average |
| Orland and Gardiner 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 |
$2,089Lowest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45%±23.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Orland 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% |
7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
87.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 22% above ME |
40 minHighest 62% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17%±11.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Orland 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 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.