Compare towns
Gardiner vs Bath vs Dover-Foxcroft
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the highest household income ($72k).
Bath has the most expensive homes ($311k median).
Dover-Foxcroft has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5%).
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 | Gardiner | Bath | Dover-Foxcroft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088 |
8,815Highest |
4,506Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6 6% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
38±4.1Lowest 15% below ME |
| Bath and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.2%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dover-Foxcroft and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Dover-Foxcroft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
28.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kHighest 4% below ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$63,344±$6kLowest 15% below ME |
| Gardiner and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$162,600±$12kLowest 45% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$880±$97Lowest 23% below ME |
| Gardiner and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742 10% below ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$1,916Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.3%±16.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4% ME: 10.7% |
15.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
67% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1973Highest 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
15 minLowest 40% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.6%±6Lowest 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #89 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 68/MSAD 68 |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | Morse High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
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.