Compare towns
Beals vs Mount Desert vs Wayne
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).
Mount Desert has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.5%).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Mount Desert | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,671Highest |
1,101 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Beals and Mount Desert 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% |
29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Wayne 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% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne 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 |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Mount Desert and Wayne 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% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| 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.