Compare towns
Bath vs Patten vs Brewer vs Brunswick
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).
Patten has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Patten | Brewer | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,154Lowest |
9,652 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 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% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| 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 |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Patten 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% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Brewer Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Brewer High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0 |
10.9Lowest |
| 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.