Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs New Gloucester
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%).
New Gloucester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.4%).
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 | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,244Lowest |
5,766Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9Highest 10% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Bar Harbor and New Gloucester 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% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 68.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester 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 |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
$1,150±$249Highest about the ME average |
| New Gloucester 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 |
$3,417Lowest 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bar Harbor and New Gloucester 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% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Lowest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 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% |
14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bar Harbor and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2 |
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| 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.