Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Bath vs Saco
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Saco has the most expensive homes ($413k 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 | Ellsworth | Bath | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657Lowest |
8,815 |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
44.9±1.5 about the ME average |
| Bath and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Saco 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% |
18.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
| Saco and Ellsworth 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±$30k 5% above ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,249±$385Highest 10% above ME |
| Saco and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Bath 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
24 min about the ME average |
24 minLowest 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Saco 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 | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Lowest |
14.8Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.