Compare towns
Bath vs Saco vs Wells 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 most people working from home (19.3%).
Saco has the highest household income ($92k).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | Saco | Wells | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
20,819Highest |
11,713 |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Wells 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% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Wells and Bath 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% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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±$12k 7% below ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Saco and Wells 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 |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
$1,350±$297Highest 19% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Wells and Saco 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
24 min 3% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Saco 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Saco Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Wells High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 11.4Lowest |
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.