Compare towns
Bath vs West Bath vs Kittery 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 affordable homes ($311k median).
West Bath has the most homeowners (82.3%).
Kittery has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
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 | Kittery | Phippsburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
1,863Lowest |
10,473Highest |
2,238 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
46.8±2.3 4% above 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%±3.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bath and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.9%±4.9 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% |
46% 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% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and West 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±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
$93,728±$14k 25% 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±$102k 43% above ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$335,800±$47k 13% above ME |
| Kittery and West Bath 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 |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and West 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the ME average |
21 min 16% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
21 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | West Bath Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Morse High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
— |
| 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.