Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Casco 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 renters (25.5% rent).
Casco has the most affordable homes ($356k median).
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
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 | Casco | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
3,696 |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Lowest 10% above ME |
52±3.3 16% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Casco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Desert and Bar Harbor 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% |
26.3%±7.8 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Casco 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% |
32.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$69,313±$19kLowest 7% 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 |
$355,500±$58kLowest 20% 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 | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,395±$184Highest 22% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
| Casco and Mount Desert 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 |
$3,085Lowest about the ME average |
$3,512 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
39.7%±35.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Casco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1% ME: 10.7% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% 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%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
26.6%±10Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Casco 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 | — | — |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 61/MSAD 61 | 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.