Compare towns
Phippsburg vs Appleton vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Phippsburg has the highest household income ($108k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
West Bath has the most people working from home (17.1%).
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 | Phippsburg | Appleton | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,238Highest |
1,360Lowest |
1,863 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.3±6.3Highest 21% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
| Phippsburg and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Appleton and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Phippsburg and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.7% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West 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 | $107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
| Phippsburg and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $335,800±$47k 13% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
| West Bath and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,112±$327Highest about the ME average |
| West Bath and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$3,516 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.5% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 13% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.1%±6.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| West Bath and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Appleton Public Schools | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.