Compare towns
Bath vs Hope vs Kittery vs Brewer
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).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Kittery has the most expensive homes ($469k median).
Brewer has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
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 | Hope | Kittery | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,748Lowest |
10,473Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kittery 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% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Brewer 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% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery 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% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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 |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Kittery and Hope 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 |
$373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,842 27% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
20 min 19% below ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Hope Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
14.0 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.