Compare towns
Bar Harbor vs Windsor vs Mount Desert
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bar Harbor has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Windsor has the most affordable homes ($170k 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 | Windsor | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,244Highest |
2,060 |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.2±5.9 26% above U.S. |
44.6±12.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
54.9±8.2Highest 41% above U.S. |
| 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 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±8.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.1%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.1%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windsor and Mount Desert 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
64.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.8%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±4.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert 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 4% below U.S. |
$51,197±$4kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$92,813±$9kHighest 15% above U.S. |
| 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 62% above U.S. |
$170,300±$22kLowest 49% below U.S. |
$522,100±$66k 57% above U.S. |
| 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 22% below U.S. |
$1,002±$107Lowest 29% below U.S. |
$1,341±$89Highest 5% below U.S. |
| 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 | $4,279 37% above U.S. |
$4,878Highest 56% above U.S. |
$3,512Lowest 13% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.6%±17.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.4%±20Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
33.9%±31.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bar Harbor and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 26% below U.S. |
22 minHighest 16% below U.S. |
18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 21.9%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.6%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.1%±9.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| 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 | #61 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD | — | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | Mt Desert Island High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.2 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.