Compare towns
Beals vs Brooklin vs Mount Desert
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Brooklin has the most kids (16.3% under 18).
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 | Beals | Brooklin | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
869 |
1,671Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
49.2±3.7 10% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brooklin and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals 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+ | 37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.8% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
7.2%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooklin and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$68,750±$8k 8% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$339,400±$90k 14% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,236±$137 9% above ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$1,792Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
29.5%±25 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
26 minHighest 4% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
16.5%±6.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | Brooklin Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.