Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Kittery vs Bath vs Gardiner
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%).
Kittery has the most expensive homes ($469k median).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k 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 | Kittery | Bath | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
10,473Highest |
8,815 |
6,088Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
46.8±2.3Highest 4% above ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
42±3.6Lowest 6% below ME |
| Kittery and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Gardiner 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% |
26.9%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Kittery 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% |
46%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest 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 |
$93,728±$14kHighest 25% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
| Kittery 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±$22k 18% below ME |
$468,500±$31kHighest 58% above ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,716±$224Highest 51% above ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262 7% above ME |
$4,518Highest 49% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$2,742Lowest 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
67.2% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1944 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Kittery 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #17 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | Kittery Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Robert W Traip Academy | Morse High School | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
9.9Lowest |
14.8Highest |
11.8 |
| 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.