Compare towns
West Bath vs Appleton vs Mapleton vs Brunswick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
West Bath has the highest household income ($103k).
Appleton has the most homeowners (82.6%).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Brunswick has the most people working from home (19.8%).
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 | West Bath | Appleton | Mapleton | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,863 |
1,360Lowest |
1,884 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| West Bath and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.7% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
| West Bath and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
| West Bath and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,112±$327 about the ME average |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Brunswick and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,516 16% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 16% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and West Bath 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 | — | — | — | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | West Bath Public Schools | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 10.9 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.