Compare towns
West Bath vs Gray vs Brunswick vs Phippsburg
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 most expensive homes ($423k median).
Gray has the most kids (19% under 18).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Phippsburg has the most affordable homes ($336k 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.
| Measure | West Bath | Gray | Brunswick | Phippsburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,863Lowest |
8,429 |
17,652Highest |
2,238 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.2±5.6 21% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
54.3±6.3Highest 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 | 14.7%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.4%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
34.4%±3.1Highest 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+ | 50.7% ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $103,333±$27k 38% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$70,722±$5kLowest 5% below ME |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% 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 | $422,800±$102kHighest 43% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$363,200±$18k 22% above ME |
$335,800±$47kLowest 13% above ME |
| West Bath and Gray 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 |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
| Brunswick and Gray 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 |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.1%±26.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Gray 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% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 16% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
21 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7Lowest 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | West Bath Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.