Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Bath vs Orland 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%).
Orland has the most homeowners (87.5%).
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 | Orland | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
8,815 |
1,915Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
50.6±4.2Highest 13% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Orland and Bath 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%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.8%±5.1Lowest 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%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Orland and Bath 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% |
31.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±4.6 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Orland 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 |
$69,348±$29k 7% below ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$277,100±$20k 7% below ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Bath and Orland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,149±$177Highest about the ME average |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Orland 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 |
$2,089Lowest 31% 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% |
45%±23.8Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
12.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3% ME: 74.3% |
87.5%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 |
1978 1 yr newer 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 |
40 minHighest 62% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17%±11.9 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Orland 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Lowest |
14.8Highest |
— | 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.