Compare towns
Bath vs Kittery vs Mount Desert
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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
Mount Desert has the most homeowners (84.8%).
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 | Kittery | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
10,473Highest |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bath and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Kittery 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 |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
| Kittery and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$468,500±$31k 58% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Kittery 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1969Highest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
20 min 19% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Kittery Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.