Compare towns
Bath vs Mount Desert 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
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 | Mount Desert | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,671Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Mount Desert 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 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Bath 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest 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 |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest 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% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1969Highest 8 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
18 min 27% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Mount Desert 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 | Mount Desert Public Schools | 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 |
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.