Compare towns
Bath vs Wells 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 most affordable homes ($311k median).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
Brunswick has the youngest population (median age 40).
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 | Wells | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,815Lowest |
11,713 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Wells 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$88,024±$11kHighest 18% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
| Wells and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Brunswick and Wells 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 |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Lowest 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Wells High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.4 |
10.9Lowest |
| 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.