What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has the most expensive homes ($431k median).

Bath has the most affordable homes ($234k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Strafford	Bath
People
Population	1,372Highest	1,097Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	0%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.	48.6±8.6Lowest 25% above U.S.
	Strafford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	21.3%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.1%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26.1%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bath and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	26.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.4%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.	$67,813±$22kLowest 16% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.	$234,400±$23kLowest 30% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S.	$1,438±$309Highest about the U.S. average
	Bath and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.	$4,413Lowest 41% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%	5.9%±61.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	26 minHighest 3% below U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.1%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Strafford School District	Bath School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.