Compare towns
Bath vs Gray vs Rockland vs Saco
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 the most kids (19% under 18).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,429 |
7,035Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest 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 |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
| 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% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Saco 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%±4 ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest 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% |
43.5% 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% |
5.2%±1.2 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 |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
| Gray and Saco 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 |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Gray and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,059 34% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Lowest 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% 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 |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
24 min 3% 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% |
19%±3.6 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 | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Oceanside High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.5 |
10.7Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.