Compare towns
Hope vs Bath vs Dedham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
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 | Dedham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748 |
8,815Highest |
1,656Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
| Dedham and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4% ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
| Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bath and Hope 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% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest 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 | Dedham 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.