Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Orland 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%).
Orland has the most homeowners (87.5%).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
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 | Orland | Bath | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,657 |
1,915Lowest |
8,815Highest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4 4% below ME |
50.6±4.2Highest 13% above ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
42±3.6Lowest 6% 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%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.8%±5.1Lowest 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% |
27.5%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest 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% |
31.4% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Orland 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 |
$69,348±$29kLowest 7% below ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% 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 |
$277,100±$20k 7% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% 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 |
$1,149±$177Highest about the ME average |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Orland and Gardiner 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 |
$2,089Lowest 31% below ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
45%±23.8 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest 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% |
7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7% ME: 74.3% |
87.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer 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 |
40 minHighest 62% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17%±11.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 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 | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | — | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | — | Morse High School | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— | 14.8Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| 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.