Compare towns
Bath vs Readfield 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Readfield has the most homeowners (89.9%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Readfield | Brunswick | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
2,651Lowest |
17,652Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
| Readfield and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Brunswick 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% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest 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 |
$86,504±$8kHighest 16% above ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
$363,200±$18kHighest 22% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Brunswick and Readfield 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 |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Brunswick and Readfield 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 |
$3,392 12% 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% |
31.3%±100Lowest 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% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.6% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%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 |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield 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 | #20 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 38 | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Maranacook Community High Sch | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.5Lowest |
— | 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.