Compare towns
Brooks vs Mount Desert vs Waldo
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 renters (25.4% rent).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Waldo has the youngest population (median age 37.5).
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 | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208 |
1,671Highest |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks 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 | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Mount Desert and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112Lowest about the ME average |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,150±$691 about the ME average |
| Mount Desert and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 31% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo 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% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Waldo 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 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| 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.