Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Mount Desert vs Unity
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%).
Mount Desert has the highest household income ($93k).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Mount Desert | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
1,671Lowest |
1,858 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below 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% |
14.1%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Desert and Unity 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% |
64.4% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26k 3% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below 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 |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below 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 |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below 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 |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity 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% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 20% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Lowest 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 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2Lowest |
— | 12.4Highest |
| 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.