Compare towns
Bath vs Gray vs Rockland
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).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 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 | Gray | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
8,429 |
7,035Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
| Rockland 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% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray 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% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland 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% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray 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 |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,059Highest 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland and Gray 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.5 |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.