Compare towns
Bath vs Wayne vs Brewer vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3%).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
West Bath has the most expensive homes ($423k 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 | Wayne | Brewer | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,101Lowest |
9,652Highest |
1,863 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Wayne and West Bath 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% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer 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% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Wayne 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% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Wayne 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 |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
| West Bath and Wayne 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 |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,112±$327Highest about the ME average |
| West Bath and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 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% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
21 min 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 38 | Brewer Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Brewer High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 14.0Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.