Compare towns
Berwick vs Mount Desert vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Sidney has the most affordable homes ($336k median).
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 | Berwick | Mount Desert | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,175Highest |
1,671Lowest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Desert and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,771±$24kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| Berwick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $369,100±$19k 24% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$1,340±$304Lowest 18% above ME |
| Berwick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±46Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Berwick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.4% ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 20% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | — | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.