Compare towns
Brooks vs Mount Desert vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most affordable homes ($197k median).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Franklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
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 | Brooks | Mount Desert | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
1,671Highest |
1,628 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6Lowest about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
46±9.3 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Brooks and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
28.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$65,455±$16k 12% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$245,800±$59k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$888±$306Lowest 22% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Lowest 31% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$2,231 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Franklin and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | Mount Desert Public Schools | — |
| High school 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.