Compare towns
Brooksville vs Gray 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
Brooksville has the oldest population (median age 61.4).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Brooksville | Gray | Mount Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 853Lowest |
8,429Highest |
1,671 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 61.4±6.3Highest 37% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
| Brooksville and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 41.6%±10.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Brooksville 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+ | 52.6% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray 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 | $56,316±$20kLowest 25% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $390,900±$113k 32% above ME |
$363,700±$20kLowest 23% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
| Mount Desert and Brooksville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,307±$68Lowest 15% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
| Gray and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,945Lowest 36% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Brooksville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 15% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 16.7%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Brooksville 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Brooksville Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Mount Desert Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.