Compare towns
Appleton vs Bar Harbor vs Mount Desert
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Mount Desert has the highest household income ($93k).
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 | Appleton | Bar Harbor | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
5,244Highest |
1,671 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
49.2±5.9Lowest 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Appleton and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
64.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,106±$351 about the ME average |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
$4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert 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 | — | #2 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.2 |
— |
| 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.