Compare towns
Belfast vs Mount Desert vs Ogunquit vs Northport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belfast has the most renters (31.5% rent).
Mount Desert has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
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 | Belfast | Mount Desert | Ogunquit | Northport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,986Highest |
1,671 |
1,379Lowest |
1,621 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1 35% above ME |
54.9±8.2Lowest 23% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
56.6±3.8 26% above ME |
| Ogunquit and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Belfast and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 39.1%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±3.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Ogunquit and Northport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
52.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Ogunquit 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 | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$114,259±$56kHighest 53% above ME |
$73,523±$8k about the ME average |
| Ogunquit and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34kLowest 15% above ME |
$522,100±$66k 76% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$343,400±$36k 16% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
— | $1,088±$299 4% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Northport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145 37% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$4,473Highest 47% above ME |
$2,721Lowest 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.8%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Northport and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
87.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 13% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.2%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #84 of 133 in ME | — | — | — |
| School district | RSU 71 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — | Northport Public Schools |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.