Compare towns
Bath vs Patten vs Kittery vs Ellsworth
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 renters (35.7% rent).
Patten has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
Kittery has the most expensive homes ($469k median).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Kittery | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,154Lowest |
10,473Highest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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 |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% below ME |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Kittery and Ellsworth 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 |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Kittery 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Kittery Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | — | Robert W Traip Academy | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.