Compare towns
West Bath vs Sidney vs Newcastle
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).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Newcastle has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Sidney | Newcastle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,863Lowest |
4,790Highest |
1,913 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 54.2±5.6Highest 21% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
49.4±7 10% above ME |
| West Bath and Newcastle 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% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Newcastle 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±1.4 ME: 22.4% |
| West Bath and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| West Bath and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,333±$27kHighest 38% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$89,868±$33k 20% above ME |
| West Bath and Newcastle 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 |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
$398,000±$41k 34% above ME |
| West Bath and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,112±$327Lowest about the ME average |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,363±$81Highest 20% above ME |
| Newcastle and Sidney 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 |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$4,256Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.1%±26.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
5.8%±16.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| West Bath and Sidney 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% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.3% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 16% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
17 minLowest 30% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.1%±6.9 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±4.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Newcastle 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | West Bath Public Schools | RSU 18 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.