Compare towns
Brewer vs Upton vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
Upton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
West Bath has the oldest population (median age 54.2).
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 | Brewer | Upton | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
8,189 |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
54.2±5.6Highest 39% above U.S. |
| West Bath and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.4%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| West 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+ | 35%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
50.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brewer 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 | $66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$103,333±$27k 28% above U.S. |
| Upton and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$422,800±$102k 27% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 23% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,112±$327Highest 21% below U.S. |
| West Bath and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$3,516 13% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.1%±26.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brewer and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
21 min 22% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.1%±6.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | #46 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Blackstone Valley | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
11.2Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.