Compare towns
Bath vs Penobscot vs Kittery
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).
Penobscot has the most homeowners (84.2%).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
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 | Penobscot | Kittery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,154Lowest |
10,473Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
-10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above ME |
| Penobscot and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Penobscot and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Penobscot and Kittery 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% |
32.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Kittery 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 |
$63,194±$14kLowest 15% below ME |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
| Kittery 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 |
$296,400±$58kLowest about the ME average |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,141±$33 about the ME average |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$1,852Lowest 39% below ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot 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% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Penobscot Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| 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.