Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Dedham vs Trenton
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%).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Trenton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7%).
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 | Dedham | Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
1,656 |
1,599Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2% ME: +2.6% |
+7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
43.5±7.7Lowest about the ME average |
| Bar Harbor and Dedham 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% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.1%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Trenton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.5%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Trenton 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
49.5% ME: 36.2% |
42.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Bar Harbor and Trenton 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 |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$60,455±$13kLowest 19% below ME |
| Dedham 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 |
$356,400±$33kLowest 20% above ME |
$357,400±$36k 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351 about the ME average |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,102±$241Lowest 3% below ME |
| Dedham 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 |
$3,942 30% above ME |
$2,310Lowest 24% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±20.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Trenton 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% ME: 10.7% |
9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 17% above ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and Trenton 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 | Dedham Public Schools | Trenton 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 Our Story | 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.