Compare towns
Bath vs Surry 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).
Surry has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
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 | Surry | Brewer | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,836Lowest |
9,652 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Surry 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% |
16.6%±3.7 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% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Surry 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% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2%±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 |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| Brunswick and Surry 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 |
$296,300±$36k about the ME average |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% 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% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Brunswick 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% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%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 |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Surry Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brewer High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0 |
10.9Lowest |
| 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.