Compare towns
Beals vs Bath vs Whiting
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Whiting has the most affordable homes ($214k 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 | Beals | Bath | Whiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
8,815Highest |
506 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
45.4±3Lowest about the ME average |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
| Whiting and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Whiting and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
$69,390±$12kHighest 7% below ME |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% below ME |
| Bath and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$214,200±$52kLowest 28% below ME |
| Bath and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378 20% below ME |
$1,044±$116Highest 8% below ME |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
| Bath and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
24 minHighest about the ME average |
22 min 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Beals 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 | — |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Whiting Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Morse High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.