Compare towns
Gardiner vs Bath vs Oakland
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 most affordable homes ($222k median).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Oakland has the most kids (23.8% under 18).
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 | Oakland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088Lowest |
8,815Highest |
6,309 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6 6% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
40.2±6.9Lowest 10% 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% |
23.8%±5.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Oakland and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.2%±3.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Gardiner 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% |
24.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$77,813±$16kHighest 4% above ME |
| Oakland and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$310,900±$30kHighest 5% above ME |
$236,000±$23k 20% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$939±$74Lowest 18% 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 |
$2,439Lowest 20% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Oakland and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944 33 yrs older than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 8% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±4.1Lowest 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 | #23 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | Morse High School | Messalonskee High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
14.8Highest |
14.2 |
| 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.