Compare towns
Bath vs Gray vs Saco vs Brunswick
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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Saco has the most expensive homes ($413k median).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Saco | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,429Lowest |
20,819Highest |
17,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
| Bath and Saco 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% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±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%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below 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±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
| Brunswick and Gray 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$4,477 47% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Saco 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Saco Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
— | — |
| 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.