Compare towns
Hope vs Bath vs Appleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k 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 | Hope | Bath | Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748 |
8,815Highest |
1,360Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
| Appleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
| Hope and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
| Hope and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
| Hope and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842 27% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,588Lowest 18% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Hope 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 | — | #31 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Appleton Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Morse High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8 |
— |
| 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.