Compare towns
Bath vs Jay vs Kittery vs West Bath
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 renters (35.7% rent).
Jay has the most affordable homes ($169k median).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
West Bath has the oldest population (median age 54.2).
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 | Jay | Kittery | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
4,657 |
10,473Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
| West Bath and Kittery 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% |
17.5%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Jay 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%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Kittery 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% |
29.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and West 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±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$70,238±$19k 6% below ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% above ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath and Kittery 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 |
$168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
| Kittery and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,245Lowest 26% below ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and West Bath 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% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
21 min 13% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 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 | #86 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 73 | Kittery Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Spruce Mountain High School | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7 |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| 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.