Compare towns
Bath vs Naples vs Saco 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).
Naples has the most people working from home (26.7%).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
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 | Naples | Saco | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
3,985Lowest |
20,819Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
49.8±6.8Highest 11% above ME |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Naples 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% |
15.6%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Naples 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% |
37.9% ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 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 |
$78,188±$13k 5% above ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Saco and Naples are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$340,100±$48k 15% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,941±$625Highest 70% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Naples and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$2,784Lowest 8% below ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
59.9%±40.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Naples and Brewer 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% |
9.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
87.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
26.7%±11.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Naples 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 | #118 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 61/MSAD 61 | Saco Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Lake Region High School | None in town | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.7Lowest |
— | 14.0 |
| 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.