Compare towns
Bath vs Kennebunk vs West Bath vs Ellsworth
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).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (32.5%).
West Bath has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Kennebunk | West Bath | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
11,820Highest |
1,863Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
54.6±3.3Highest 22% above ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kennebunk and West 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% |
17.7%±3 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Kennebunk 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% |
30%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kennebunk and West 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% |
51.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
50.7% ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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 |
$107,804±$8kHighest 44% above ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Kennebunk and West Bath 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 |
$487,700±$21kHighest 64% above ME |
$422,800±$102k 43% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Kennebunk 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 |
$1,425±$290Highest 25% above ME |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kennebunk and West Bath 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 |
$4,999Highest 65% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±10.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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 ME: 10.7% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
32.5%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kennebunk 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 | #9 of 133 in ME | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 21 | West Bath Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Kennebunk High School | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.6Lowest |
— | 12.7 |
| 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.