Compare towns
Rockland vs Brunswick vs Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Bath has the oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
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 | Rockland | Brunswick | Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,035Lowest |
22,336Highest |
8,815 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
| Rockland and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
| Brunswick and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,092±$105 4% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,059 34% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,847Lowest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1948 29 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 12 minLowest 50% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
24 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland and Brunswick 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 | #96 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | Oceanside High School | Brunswick High School | Morse High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
10.9 |
14.8Highest |
| 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.