What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).

Ipswich has the most expensive homes ($745k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bath	Ipswich
People
Population	8,815Lowest	13,930Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.4±3Lowest 17% above U.S.	47.2±3.5Highest 21% above U.S.
	Ipswich 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 U.S.: 22%	18.9%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Ipswich and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	21.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bath and Ipswich 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 U.S.: 35.7%	60.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bath and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S.	$138,750±$16kHighest 72% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S.	$745,400±$40kHighest 124% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S.	$1,598±$90Highest 13% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$7,960Highest 155% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.3%±15.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	51.5%±12.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Ipswich and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	74.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	1964Highest 16 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below U.S.	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	18.9%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bath and Ipswich 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	#101 of 282 in MA
School district	RSU 01 - LKRSU	Ipswich
High school in town	Morse High School	Ipswich High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.8Highest	9.0Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.