Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Bath vs Union
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoin has the highest household income ($91k).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Union has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
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 | Bowdoin | Bath | Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,188 |
8,815Highest |
2,663Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10 about the ME average |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Bath and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
| Bowdoin and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $292,800±$71k about the ME average |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$267,600±$42kLowest 10% below ME |
| Bath and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375 11% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,276Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Union 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| 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.