What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Kingston has the most expensive homes ($493k 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	Kingston
People
Population	8,815Highest	6,275Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.4±3Lowest 17% above U.S.	55.5±5.7Highest 43% above U.S.
Kids under 18	15.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22%	13.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bath and Kingston 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%	24.7%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bath and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bath and Kingston 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.	$105,330±$12kHighest 30% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S.	$492,900±$58kHighest 48% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,044±$116Lowest 26% below U.S.	$1,393±$156Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$7,906Highest 153% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.3%±15.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	46.9%±46.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bath and Kingston 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%	2.1%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.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below U.S.	34 minHighest 29% above U.S.
Work from home	19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bath and Kingston 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	#78 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 01 - LKRSU	Sanborn Regional School District
High school in town	Morse High School	Sanborn Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.8Highest	12.9Lowest
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.