Compare towns
Bath vs Old Orchard Beach vs Brunswick 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%).
Old Orchard Beach has the oldest population (median age 58).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Old Orchard Beach | Brunswick | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
9,244 |
17,652Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+3.9% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
58±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
6.5%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer 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 ME: 22.4% |
33.5%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Old Orchard Beach 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% |
42.8% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$60,050±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$70,722±$5kHighest 5% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Brunswick 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±$30k 5% above ME |
$366,600±$38kHighest 24% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Brunswick 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 |
$1,246±$182 9% above ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Brunswick and Old Orchard Beach 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 |
$3,426 13% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.7%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
14.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
22 min 11% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Brunswick 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 | #67 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 23 | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Old Orchard Beach High School | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
7.6Lowest |
— | 14.0 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.