Compare towns
South Berwick vs Bath vs Gray
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
South Berwick has the most kids (26.7% under 18).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | South Berwick | Bath | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,670Lowest |
8,815Highest |
8,429 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.4% ME: +2.6% |
+3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,572±$13kHighest 33% above ME |
$69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| South Berwick and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,300±$26kHighest 44% above ME |
$310,900±$30kLowest 5% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$3,847 27% above ME |
$3,683Lowest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.5%±24.5 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and South Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.3% ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and South Berwick 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 | #58 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | Marshwood High School | Morse High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.0 |
14.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
| 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.