Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Danforth
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%).
Danforth has the most affordable homes ($85k median).
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 | Danforth |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
452Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Lowest 10% above ME |
51.9±5.3Highest 16% above ME |
| Danforth 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% |
14.8%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Danforth and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±5.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Danforth 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% |
4.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kHighest 3% above ME |
$42,264±$11kLowest 43% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and Danforth 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 |
$85,200±$20kLowest 71% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351Highest about the ME average |
$629±$22Lowest 45% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,279 41% above ME |
— |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
11.5%±71.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Danforth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
3%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #2 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | — |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.