Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Bath vs Gardiner vs Brewer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Ellsworth | Bath | Gardiner | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,815 |
6,088Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
42±3.6 6% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| 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+ | 39.3% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Gardiner and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262 7% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4% ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3% ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Gardiner 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School | Gardiner Area High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
14.8Highest |
11.8Lowest |
14.0 |
| 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.