Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Appleton 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
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
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 | Bar Harbor | Appleton | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
1,360Lowest |
1,671 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Lowest 10% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.9%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Highest 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+ | 25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 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+ | 68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest 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 | $77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below 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 | $538,400±$94kHighest 82% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below 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 | $1,106±$351 about the ME average |
$1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$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 | $4,279Highest 41% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$3,512Lowest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest 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 | 10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 20% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest 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 | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Appleton Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town | 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.