Compare towns
Keene vs Ellsworth vs Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Keene has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
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 | Keene | Ellsworth | Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,939Highest |
8,657Lowest |
8,815 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Lowest 3% below U.S. |
43±2.4 11% above U.S. |
45.4±3Highest 17% above U.S. |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bath and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,445±$8kHighest about the U.S. average |
$77,375±$18k 4% below U.S. |
$69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
| Keene and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $252,500±$12k 24% below U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$310,900±$30kHighest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,342±$68Highest 5% below U.S. |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812Highest 118% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$3,847 23% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.3%±15.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 7% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.3%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bath and Keene 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 | #81 of 120 in NH | #63 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Keene School District | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Keene High School | Ellsworth High School | Morse High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3Lowest |
12.7 |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.