Compare towns
Brewer vs Mount Desert vs Hampden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most renters (40.3% rent).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Hampden has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.2%).
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 | Brewer | Mount Desert | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
1,671Lowest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
45.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Hampden and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
18 min 27% below ME |
23 minHighest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
| 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.