Compare towns
Eliot vs Bath vs Gray vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k median).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Gray has the most homeowners (82.4%).
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
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 | Eliot | Bath | Gray | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,146Lowest |
8,815 |
8,429 |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.7±4 about the ME average |
| Eliot and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.8%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.6% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
| Eliot and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.8% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.8% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 9% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Eliot 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 | #19 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | None in town | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8Highest |
12.5 |
12.2Lowest |
| 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.