Compare towns
Bath vs Windham vs Brewer vs Ellsworth
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 population (median age 45.4).
Windham has the highest household income ($108k).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k 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 | Windham | Brewer | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
19,188Highest |
9,652 |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth 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% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Brewer 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% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and 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±$12k 7% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Windham and Ellsworth 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 |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Windham and Brewer 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 |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brewer 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% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Windham 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 | #95 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 14 | Brewer Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Windham High School | Brewer High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.1Lowest |
14.0 |
12.7 |
| 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.