Compare towns
Blue Hill vs Naples 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
Blue Hill has the most kids (18.3% under 18).
Naples has the most people working from home (26.7%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k 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 | Naples | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,813 |
3,985Highest |
1,671Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.6±8.2Lowest 8% above ME |
49.8±6.8 11% above ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Naples 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% |
15.6%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Blue Hill and Naples are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.6%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.3%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Blue Hill 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+ | 38.2% ME: 36.2% |
37.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Blue Hill 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 | $80,377±$17k 8% above ME |
$78,188±$13kLowest 5% above ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $399,500±$82k 35% above ME |
$340,100±$48kLowest 15% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Blue Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$638Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,941±$625Highest 70% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
| Naples and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,907 4% below ME |
$2,784Lowest 8% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 93.6%±27.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
59.9%±40.1 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Blue Hill and Naples 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% |
9.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 15% below ME |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 21%±9.5 ME: 15.9% |
26.7%±11.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Naples 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 | #118 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Blue Hill Public Schools | RSU 61/MSAD 61 | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Lake Region High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
— |
| 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.