Compare towns
Bath vs West Bath vs Gray vs Phippsburg
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 renters (35.7% rent).
West Bath has the most expensive homes ($423k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Phippsburg has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | West Bath | Gray | Phippsburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815Highest |
1,863Lowest |
8,429 |
2,238 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.3±6.3Highest 21% above ME |
| Phippsburg 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% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray 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% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Phippsburg and West 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% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
37.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
| Phippsburg and West Bath 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 |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$335,800±$47k 13% above ME |
| West Bath and Gray 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 |
$1,112±$327 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
| Gray and West Bath 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 |
$3,516 16% above ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray 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% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and West 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | West Bath Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 12.5Lowest |
— |
| 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.