Cost of Living in Bath, ME
Cost of Living in Bath, ME has an overall index of 97, 3% below the U.S. baseline of 100. The typical home value is $285,400; typical monthly rent is $967; and median household income is $65,565.
Cost index: committed city housing/rent inputs and BEA 2024 metro-area price parities. Home value: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. Rent: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. A place-level signal, not a personal affordability decision or financial recommendation.
Rent and home prices are comparatively balanced with local income. This describes the local market, not your household.
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Other Maine cities with a useful tradeoff.
Recommendations require usable housing and income data and exclude very small places for a city of this scale.
Frequently asked questions about Bath
Living in Bath
What is the cost of living like in Bath, ME?+
Living costs in Bath land close to the national average, with a Cost Index of 97 (where 100 = the US baseline). Housing is the largest variable: the median home value here is $285,400, and typical monthly rents are $967. Groceries and utilities are in line with what you would find in most US cities.
How does Bath fit a household housing budget?+
Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $967, while local median household income is $65,565. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 18% before utilities and other costs. Use that as a planning signal for whether the place looks manageable under your own household assumptions.
How much are taxes in Bath, ME?+
Maine uses an approximate state-income-tax planning model; 7.15% is top marginal-rate context from the tax snapshot. Applying the 1.36% state-level effective owner-occupied proxy to a home worth $285,400 gives a planning estimate near $3,881 per year; it is not a city, county, parcel, or individual tax bill. State plus average local sales-tax context is around 5.5%.
How much does it cost to rent in Bath, ME?+
The typical monthly rent in Bath is around $967. That's roughly 28% lower than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $285,400, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.
How much does a house cost in Bath, ME?+
The typical home value in Bath is $285,400. With 20% down and the committed 6.11% national 30-year fixed benchmark as of 2026-03-12, principal and interest are roughly $1,385/month before property tax and insurance. This is a planning estimate, not a local lender quote. About 65% of residents here own their homes.
Are groceries and utilities expensive in Bath?+
Grocery prices in Bath are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 97, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are on the high side (index: 135). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.
What is Bath, ME like to live in?+
Bath is a small town with a population of about 8,801. The median age of residents is 46.4, skewing somewhat older — common in established suburban communities. The local poverty rate is 14.6%, near the national average of 12.4%.