Compare towns
Bath vs Old Orchard Beach vs Rockland
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 highest household income ($69k).
Old Orchard Beach has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 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 | Old Orchard Beach | Rockland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
9,244Highest |
7,035Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+3.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
58±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
49.3±6 10% above ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.5%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
33.5%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Old Orchard Beach and Rockland 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
7%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Old Orchard Beach 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±$12kHighest 7% below ME |
$60,050±$11k 20% below ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Bath and Old Orchard Beach 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 |
$245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Bath 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±$182Highest 9% above ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Rockland 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 |
$3,426Lowest 13% above ME |
$4,059Highest 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.7%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland 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% |
14.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1948 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
22 min 11% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
15%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland 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 | #67 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 23 | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Old Orchard Beach High School | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
7.6Lowest |
10.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.