Compare towns
Bath vs Lancaster vs Brunswick vs Phippsburg
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Phippsburg has the oldest population (median age 54.3).
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 | Lancaster | Brunswick | Phippsburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,606 |
22,336Highest |
2,238Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
43.1±4.9 11% above U.S. |
40±2.8Lowest about the U.S. average |
54.3±6.3Highest 40% above U.S. |
| Phippsburg and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Lancaster and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.9%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.4%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
13.3%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$134,833±$27kHighest 67% above U.S. |
$74,952±$6k 7% below U.S. |
$107,833±$19k 34% above U.S. |
| Lancaster and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$519,100±$60kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$376,300±$15k 13% above U.S. |
$335,800±$47k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
$2,338±$539Highest 65% above U.S. |
$1,469±$99 4% above U.S. |
$1,022±$346Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 23% above U.S. |
$7,235Highest 132% above U.S. |
$4,756 52% above U.S. |
$2,034Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.3%±36.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±8.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lancaster and Brunswick 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% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
81.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
23 min 11% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
33.6%±9.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #31 of 133 in ME | #145 of 282 in MA | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Nashoba | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 10.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.