Compare towns
Brunswick vs Mount Desert vs Wayne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k median).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Brunswick | Mount Desert | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
1,671 |
1,101Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
54.9±8.2 23% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.1%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne 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+ | 53.9% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$92,813±$9k 24% above ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
| Wayne and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$362,800±$29kLowest 22% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,341±$89 18% above ME |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,512 16% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Mount Desert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9 |
— | — |
| 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.