Compare towns
Blue Hill vs Deer Isle vs Surry
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Blue Hill has the most expensive homes ($400k median).
Deer Isle has the most people working from home (22%).
Surry has the most affordable homes ($296k 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 | Blue Hill | Deer Isle | Surry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,813Highest |
2,470 |
1,836Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.1% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.6±8.2Lowest 8% above ME |
52.6±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
52.4±5.6 17% above ME |
| Deer Isle and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.7%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Blue Hill and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.6%±10.2 ME: 22.4% |
24.8%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Surry and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Blue Hill and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $80,377±$17kHighest 8% above ME |
$62,284±$15kLowest 17% below ME |
$74,508±$12k about the ME average |
| Blue Hill and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $399,500±$82kHighest 35% above ME |
$308,300±$42k 4% above ME |
$296,300±$36kLowest about the ME average |
| Blue Hill and Deer Isle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$638 9% below ME |
$1,909±$927Highest 68% above ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
| Deer Isle and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,907Highest 4% below ME |
$1,890Lowest 38% below ME |
$1,903 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 93.6%±27.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
25.4%±17.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Blue Hill and Surry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.8% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 15% below ME |
20 minLowest 17% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 21%±9.5 ME: 15.9% |
22%±9.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Deer Isle and Blue Hill 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 | #29 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Blue Hill Public Schools | Deer Isle-Stonington CSD | Surry Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Deer Isle-Stonington High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.