Compare towns
Dover vs Bath vs Fairlee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+60%).
Bath has the most kids (15.5% under 18).
Fairlee has the most affordable homes ($274k 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 | Dover | Bath | Fairlee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,466 |
8,815Highest |
1,066Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +60%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.5±8.3 38% above U.S. |
45.4±3Lowest 17% above U.S. |
56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S. |
| Fairlee and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 10.2%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
15.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.2%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bath and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.5%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.5%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bath and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $52,313±$7kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$69,390±$12k 14% below U.S. |
$74,760±$10kHighest 7% below U.S. |
| Fairlee and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $332,900±$55kHighest about the U.S. average |
$310,900±$30k 7% below U.S. |
$274,200±$39kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Dover and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $670±$49Lowest 53% below U.S. |
$1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
$1,083±$242Highest 23% below U.S. |
| Fairlee and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,510 45% above U.S. |
$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$5,617Highest 80% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.1%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.2%±11.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
15%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Dover 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 | — |
| School district | River Valleys Unified School District #73 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Rivendell Interstate School District |
| 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 |
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.