Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Cape Elizabeth
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 affordable homes ($538k median).
Cape Elizabeth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).
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 | Cape Elizabeth |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,244Lowest |
9,606Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
47.4±3.3Lowest 6% above ME |
| Bar Harbor and Cape Elizabeth 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% |
26%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.7%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Cape Elizabeth and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 68.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
74.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$145,821±$8kHighest 95% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $538,400±$94kLowest 82% above ME |
$731,600±$53kHighest 147% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$2,185±$275Highest 92% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,279Lowest 41% above ME |
$7,637Highest 152% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.2%±19.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Cape Elizabeth 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% |
5.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
21 minHighest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
31.9%±6.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Cape Elizabeth and Bar Harbor 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 | #1 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | Cape Elizabeth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | Cape Elizabeth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2Lowest |
10.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.