Compare towns
Bath vs Mapleton vs Franklin vs Brewer
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 people working from home (19.3%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Franklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Mapleton | Franklin | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,884 |
1,628Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
46±9.3Highest about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Franklin and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Franklin and 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
28.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and 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±$12k 7% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$65,455±$16kLowest 12% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$245,800±$59k 17% below ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Bath and Franklin 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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$888±$306 22% below ME |
$1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,231 27% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.8% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Franklin 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 | — | — | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | — | 14.0Lowest |
| 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.